Ἄρης

Validation

Yes

Word-form

ἄριστον

Transliteration (Word)

ariston

English translation (word)

morning meal, breakfast

Transliteration (Etymon)

Arēs

English translation (etymon)

Ares (god of war)

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1176

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

Ἄριστον Ω 124· ἐπὶ τῆς εὐωχίας, ἀόριστόν τι ὄν, ἀόριστον γάρ ἐστι κατὰ καιρόν· ἐντεῦθεν οὖν ἔχει τὸ α μακρόν. ἢ παρὰ τὸν Ἄρεα· τοῖς γὰρ εἰς Ἄρεα προσιοῦσι παρασκευάζεται, ὡς καὶ τὸ δεῖπνον

Translation (En)

Ariston "breakfast", for a good meal, aoriston, as it were, because it is undetermined (aoriston) regarding time. And this is why it has a long [ā]. Or from Ares, because it is prepared for those who are going to war, as also deipnon ("meal")

Comment

Paronymic etymology deriving the name of the first meal of the day from the name of the god of war because after breakfast comes fighting. This etymology is designed after the older parallel etymology δεῖπνον / δεῖ + πόνος. It does not take into account the fact that the initial [a] is long in ἄριστον, but short in Ares, except when metrically lengthened. However, the etymology was invented at a time when vowel quantity was lost.

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 143 (idem); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha p. 196 (idem)

Modern etymology

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

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre