βραχύς

Validation

Yes

Word-form

βραχίων

Transliteration (Word)

brakhiōn

English translation (word)

arm

Transliteration (Etymon)

brakhus

English translation (etymon)

short

Author

Soranus of Ephesus

Century

1-2 AD

Source

Etym. Genuinum

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, beta 242

Ed.

F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras, Etymologicum magnum genuinum. Symeonis etymologicum una cum magna grammatica. Etymologicum magnum auctum, vol. 2, Athens: Parnassos Literary Society, 1992

Quotation

Βραχίων (Soran. fr. 28 Scheele)· εἴρηται, ὅτι βραχύτερός ἐστι τοῦ λοιποῦ μέρους τῶν χειρῶν

Translation (En)

Brakhiōn "upper arm" is so named because it is shorter (brakhuteros) then the other part of the arm

Comment

This is the correct etymology, which is probably older than Soranus although it is not attested earlier explicitly. Brakhiōn "arm" is the substantivized comparative of brakhus "short", and refers to the upper part of the arm (between the shoulder and the elbow), which is shorter than the lower part, the forearm, whence its name (see : brakhiōn). This was still well understood by most Greek scholars. Brakhus has three comparatives, the oldest brassōn, a remodeled form brakhiōn, which was lexicalized as "arm", and the productive form used in classical Greek brakhuteros. The opposition between brakhiōn "arm" and brassōn "shorter" in Homer is underlined in most explanations (see Parallels), which suggests that for Herodian, too, who gives the three comparatives, brakhiōn is to be understood as "arm", as in the Etym. Genuinum.

Parallels

Herodian, Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 383 (ὁ τρίτος τύπος τάσσων καὶ θάσσων, βραχύς βραχύτερος, βραχίων βράσσων); Pollux, Onomasticon 2, 138 (ὅτι ἐστὶ τοῦ πήχεως βραχύτερος,); Choeroboscus, Prolegomena et scholia in Theodosii Alexandrini canones isagogicos de flexione nominum, p. 272 (εἴτε ἐπὶ τοῦ μέρους τοῦ σώματος, ὅπερ ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ παραλόγως ὀξύνουσι βραχιών λέγοντες, καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ ὁμοίως τῷ συγκριτικῷ βαρύνεται, οἷον βραχίων, οἱονεὶ τὸ βραχὺ μέρος τοῦ σώματος); Etym. Genuinum, beta 241 (Βράσσων Κ 226· ὁ βραδὺς καὶ ὁ βραχὺς καὶ ἑκάτερον σημαίνει· καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ βραδύς γίνεται βραδύτερος καὶ βραδίων καὶ βράσσων καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ βραχύς βραχύτερος βραχίων βράσσων. ὅθεν ὁ ποιητὴς εἰδὼς ἀμφοτέρων σημαντικὴν τὴν λέξιν ἐπιφέρει διασαφῶν καὶ λύων τὸ ἀμφίβολον "ἀλλά τέ οἱ βράσσων τε νόος, λεπτὴ δέ τε μῆτις"); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 211 (idem); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, beta p. 285 (Βραχίων· παρὰ τὸ βραχὺ εἶναι ὑπό τι τῶν τοῦ πήχεως ὀστῶν); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 3, 52 (ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ βραχύς βραχίων βράσσων, ὡς ἐλαχύς ἐλαχίων ἐλάσσων, παχύς παχίων πάσσων); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 492 (βράσσων (Κ 226)· ὁ βραδὺς— καὶ <ἐκ> τοῦ βραχύς βραχύτερος βραχίων <καὶ> βράσσων. ὅθεν τὸ ἀμφίβολον (l. c.)· "βράσσων τε νόος"); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, beta p. 404 (Βραχίων. ὅτι βραχύτερός ἐστι τοῦ λοιποῦ μέρους)

Modern etymology

Βραχίων is the substantivized comparative of βραχύς, remodelled from the older comparative βράσσων. Βραχύς is cognate with Lat. brevis "short" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Modern Greek has βραχίονας from old accusative βραχίονα to designate: 1. The part of the arm from the shoulder to the elbow, 2. anything looking like a βραχίων.

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