ἀριστεία

Validation

Yes

Word-form

ἄριστον

Transliteration (Word)

ariston

English translation (word)

morning meal, breakfast

Transliteration (Etymon)

aristeia

English translation (etymon)

prowess

Author

Suda

Century

10 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Suda, alpha 3923

Ed.

A. Adler, Suidae Lexicon, Leipzig: Teubner, 1928-1935

Quotation

Ἄριστον: περὶ ὥραν γʹ· παρὰ τὸ εἰς ἀριστείαν προέρχεσθαι. ζήτει ἐν τῷ δεῖπνον

Translation (En)

Ariston "breakfast": about the 3rd hour; from the fact that <warriors> are going forth to accomplish their prowess (eis aristeian) —Look under deipnon ["dinner"]

Comment

This etymology was probably designed after the parallel etymology for δεῖπνον "after which warriors must toil" (see δεῖπνον / δεῖ + πόνος), and as a matter of fact the reader is referred to the etymology of δεῖπνον. It is a paronymic etymology which is intended for the Homeric context but of course does not fit the everyday use where one can have breakfast without going to fight

Parallels

Suda, delta 358 (Δεῖπνον: τὸ πρωϊνὸν ἄριστον. ὅπερ ἀκρατισμὸς λέγεται. εἶτα περὶ ὥραν γʹ ἄριστον, παρὰ τὸ εἰς ἀριστείαν προέρχεσθαι. καὶ δεῖπνος, μεθ’ ὃν δεῖ πονεῖν. εἶτα τὸ ἑσπερινὸν δόρπος, παρὰ τὸ δόρυ παύειν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, delta p. 476 (ἢ δεῖπνον τὸ πρώϊνον ἄριστον, ὅπερ ἀκρατισμὸς λέγεται. εἶτα περὶ ὥραν τρίτην ἄριστος, παρὰ τὸ εἰς ἀριστείαν προέρχεσθαι. εἶτα τὸ ἑσπερινὸν, δόρπος, παρὰ τὸ δόρυ παύειν); T Schol. Il. 2.381 (δεῖπνον: τρισὶ τροφαῖς ἐχρῶντο οἱ παλαιοί. καὶ τὴν μὲν πρώτην ἐκάλουν ἄριστον, ἣν ἐλάμβανον πρωΐας σχεδὸν ἔτι σκοτίας οὔσης· καὶ ὠνόμασται ἄριστον ἢ παρὰ τὸ λαμβάνειν αὐτὸ πρὶν εἰς ἀριστείαν προέρχεσθαι, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ προφέρεσθαι ταύτην πρώτην τροφήν, παρὰ τὸ ἄειρε, „μή μοι οἶνον ἄειρε“ (Ζ 264). τὴν δὲ δευτέραν δεῖπνον, τὸ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἄριστον· καὶ ἔστι κατὰ τὸ ἔτυμον δεῖπνον, μεθ’ ὃ δεῖ πονεῖν· λαβόντες γὰρ ταύτην τὴν τροφὴν πάλιν περὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ ἔργα ἐπόνουν. τὸ δὲ τρίτον δόρπον, τὸ καθ’ ἡμᾶς δεῖπνον· καὶ ἔστι κατὰ τὸ ἔτυμον ἰαύερπον, ὅταν εἰς τὸ ἰαύειν πορευώμεθα, ὅ ἐστι κοιμᾶσθαι, ἢ παρὰ τὸ παῦσιν ἔχειν τοῦ δόρατος); Schol. Od. β 20f Pontani (δόρπον: τὸ καθ’ ἡμᾶς δεῖπνον. τρισὶ δὲ τροφαῖς ἐχρῶντο. καὶ τὴν μὲν πρώτην ἐκάλουν ἄριστον, ἣν ἐλάμβανον πρωΐας σχεδὸν ἔτι σκοτίας οὔσης· καὶ ὠνομάσθη ἄριστον ἢ παρὰ τὸ λαμβάνοντας αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀριστείαν προέρχεσθαι, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσφέρεσθαι ταύτην πρώτην τὴν τροφήν, παρὰ τὸ ἄειρε ὠνομασμένης τῆς λέξεως· “μή μοι οἶνον ἄειρε μελίφρονα, πότνια μῆτερ” [Ζ 264]); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, delta p. 375 (idem)

Modern etymology

Ἄριστον belongs probably with αὔριον and the derivatives of "dawn" (contra Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No