ἀ- + ὕω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

αὕω

Transliteration (Word)

hauō

English translation (word)

to dry

Transliteration (Etymon)

a- + huō

English translation (etymon)

not + to rain

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus

Century

2 AD

Reference

Rhematikon

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 2

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820

Quotation

Αὖος, ὁ ξηρός, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕω· ἀΰω, ἄϋος, καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὖος, ὁ μὴ ὑγρός· οὕτως Ἀπολλώνιος ἐν τῷ Ῥηματικῷ

Translation (En)

Auos "dry" is from huō "to rain" : a-üō "it does not rain", a-üos, and through contraction auos, that which is not humid. This is what Apollonius says in his On Verb

Comment

See αὗος / ἀ- + ὕω. The verb, which is probably a creation by Greek grammarians in order to explain αὗος "dry", and not a real Greek verb, is analyzed as a compound "no rain". It is surprising that a verb supposed to mean "to dry", that is, to remove water or humidity, is etymologized from "it does not rain", since ὕω implies the opposite process: removing water is not the same as not pouring water. This etymology was understandable for the adjective αὗος "dry" (which means "without water/rain") but does not make much sense for a transitive verb, or even an intransitive "to dry". Greek etymologists had no problem with explaining a verb as a compound with the privative alpha, although this is impossible in Greek to build negative verbs that way. Probably the existence of pairs like ἀφρονέω / φφονέω gave the impression, in synchrony, that such a derivation was possible

Parallels

Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 158-159 (τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ αὔω, τὸ ξηραίνω, αὐὴν καὶ αὐχὴν, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, καὶ κατὰ κρᾶσιν αὔω); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1435 (Αὔω· τὸ ξηραίνω· παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, γίνεται μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀΰω καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὔω, τὸ ἐξ ἀνομβρίας γινόμενον); Etym. Parvum, alpha 50 (Αὐστηρός· παρὰ τὸ ἀύω, τὸ ξηραίνω, ὁ μέλλων αὔσω, ἐξ αὐτοῦ αὐστηρός· ὅπερ παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 375 (αὔω: εἰ μὲν τὸ ξηραίνω δηλοῖ, γέγονε παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, καὶ τὸ στερητικὸν α ἀΰω καὶ αὕω. εἰ δὲ τὸ φωνῶ, <ὡς> Ὅμηρος ‘αὖε δ’ Ἄρης ἑτέρωθεν’ (Υ 51), <παρὰ τὸ ἄω,> τὸ πνέω, ὥς φησιν Ἡρωδιανός [Lentz III/2, p. 272]); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 234 (idem); Suda, alpha 4456 (αὔω γὰρ τὸ ξηραίνω, παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, ἀΰω μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, καὶ κράσει αὔω); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, epsilon, p. 472 (τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ αὔω, τὸ ξηραίνω, αὐήν καὶ αὐχήν· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀΰω, τὸ οὐ βρέχω, καὶ ⟦κατὰ⟧ κρᾶσιν αὔω); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 174 (Αὔω: Τὸ ξηραίνω, παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, ἀΰω· καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν, αὔω, τὸ ἐξ ἀνομβρίας γινόμενον); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 324 (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 348 (Αὔω. τὸ φωνῶ καὶ τὸ ξηραίνω. παρὰ τὸ ἄω τὸ πνέω γίνεται αὔω, κατὰ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ υ. τὸ δὲ ξηραίνω, παρὰ τὸ ὕω τὸ βρέχω, μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, ἀΰω, καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὔω· τὸ ἐξ ἀνομβρίας γινόμενον)

See other parallels under αὗος / ἀ- + ὕω

Modern etymology

Back formation from αὗος (q.v.)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre