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EtygramEtymologies Grecques Antiques et Médiévales
Ancient and Medieval Greek Etymologies

θίς

Word

θίς

Validation

Yes

Word-form

θίς

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

this

English translation (word)

heap (of sand)

Transliteration (Etymon)

theō

English translation (etymon)

to run

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, theta, p. 73

Ed.

F.G. Sturz, Orionis Thebani Etymologicum, Leipzig 1820

Quotation

Θίς, ὁ αἰγιαλός. παρὰ τὸ θέω· ὁ παραθέων τῇ θαλάσσῃ

Translation (En)

Thīs "heap (of sand)" means "seashore"; it comes from theō "to run", that which runs along the sea

Comment

Paronymic etymology which may have been suggested by the Homeric formula παρὰ θῖνα θαλάσσης "along the seashore"

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 77 (τὸ θίν, κἂν παρὰ τὸ θέω ἐστί, διὰ τοῦ ι γράφεται· κἂν παρὰ τὸ ῥέειν, ἡ ῥίν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 450 (Θίς: Θηλυκῶς λέγεται ὁ αἰγιαλός· ‘Ἐκβάντες ἐπὶ θῖνα’. Παρὰ τὸ θέω, τὸ τρέχω· ἐν γὰρ τῷ αἰγιαλῷ θέουσι καὶ τρέχουσι τὰ κύματα. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ θένω, τὸ τύπτω· ἐν γὰρ τῷ αἰγιαλῷ θένονται καὶ τύπτονται τὰ κύματα· εἰς ὃν ἐγκρούουσι τὰ κύματα. Ἀρσενικῶς δὲ σημαίνει τὸν σωρόν· καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ θῶ, ὡς τὸ, ‘πολὺς δ’ ἀμφ’ ὀστεόφιν θίς’. Ὅ ἐστι σωρός); ibid. p. 452 (Θίς: Ὁ αἰγιαλός· παρὰ τὸ θέω· ὁ παραθέων τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ παρήκων, ὁ εἰς ὕψος ἀναθέων. Οὕτως Ὦρος. Ὅμηρος, ‘πολὺς δ’ ἀμφ’ ὀστεόφιν θίς’. Παρὰ τὸ εἰς ὕψος ἀναθεῖν. Θὶς, ἐπὶ τοῦ σωροῦ· Παρὰ τὸ θῶ, ἀφ’ οὗ θεῖναι καὶ ἐπιθεῖναι)

Modern etymology

Unknown

Persistence in Modern Greek

Modern Greek still has θίνα (fem.), from the singular accusative of θις, used in plural and referring to a heap of sand. There also exists the phrase "Παρά θιν' αλός" ("right where the sea reaches the sand").