ἄνω + θέω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

ἄνηθον

Transliteration (Word)

anēthon

English translation (word)

dill

Transliteration (Etymon)

anō + theō

English translation (etymon)

upwards + to run

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino), alpha, p. 611

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818

Quotation

ἄνηθον, παρὰ τὸ ἄνω θεῖν διὰ τὴν ἐν τάχει αὔξησιν

Translation (En)

Dill (anēthon): from the fact that it runs (theîn) upwards (anō) because of its fast growth

Comment

This etymology is identical with the etymology provided for ἄνθος "flower" (see ἄνθος / ἄνω + θέω). The combination "to run upwards" is supposed to give the name of a specific plant as well as the generic word for "flower". For the theoretical implications about the dissymmetrical character of the relationship between lemma and etymon, see the notice on ἄνθος. This dissymmetry is also noticed by the 11th c. writer Doxopatres (see Parallels) who uses it as a justification of a the etymology he provides for another word

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 874 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 107 (idem); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Vat. gr. 1456) 28 (Ἄνηθον: διὰ τὸ ἄνω θεῖν. [ἢ] διὰ τὴν ἐν τάχει αὔξησιν [the ἤ was added by the abbreviator]); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 143 (idem, with the superfluous ἤ); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p.  56 (ἄνηθον· παρὰ τὸ ἄνω θεῖν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 191 (idem); Doxopatres, Prolegomena in Aphthonii progymnasmata vol. 14, p. 154 (ἢ ὅτι, ὥσπερ πολλῶν οὐσῶν βοτανῶν τῶν εἰς τὸ ἄνω θεουσῶν μόνον τὸ ἄνηθον παρὰ τὸ ἄνω θεῖν κατ’ Ὠρίωνα παρωνόμασται, οὕτω καὶ πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν λόγων τῶν λεγομένων μόνος ὁ κατὰ φύσιν ψευδὴς ἀπὸ τοῦ μυθεῖσθαι παρωνόμασται); Scholia in Aristophanes, Comm. in Nubes (scholia recentiozra Tzetzae) 982 (ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄνω θέειν); Scholia in Theocritum 7.63 (τινὲς δὲ καὶ πᾶν ἄνθος ἄνηθον παρὰ τὸ ἄνω θέειν [the order should be reversed: the correct order is ἄνηθον παρὰ τὸ ἄνω θέειν. τινὲς δὲ καὶ πᾶν ἄνθος])

Modern etymology

Unknown, the word belongs probably to a substrate layer (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

In Modern Greek survives both masculine noun άνηθος, coming from the accusative of the ancient Greek neutral, but also άνηθον denoting "dill".

Entry By

Le Feuvre