μάχομαι + ῥᾴδιος

Validation

Yes

Word-form

μάχαιρα

Transliteration (Word)

makhaira

English translation (word)

dagger, knife

Transliteration (Etymon)

makhomai + rhaidios

English translation (etymon)

to fight + easy

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, mu, p. 180

Ed.

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

Quotation

Μάχαιρα· διὰ τὸ μάχεσθαι ῥᾶον

Translation (En)

Makhaira "knife": because of the fact it fights (makhesthaieasily (rhaon) enough

Comment

The word is parsed as a compound transposing a syntagm verb + adverb. The adverb provides only one phoneme of the lemma, the [r]. This etymology relies on the military use of μάχαιρα referring to the short sword which Homeric warriors have next to the ξίφος, the long sword. The internal [ai] is not accounted for

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, mu, p. 382-382 (Μάχαιρα, διὰ τὸ μάχεσθαι ῥᾷον· ἢ διὰ τὸ μάχεσθαι πᾶσι φύσεσι, καὶ τόνον ἐμποιεῖν βίᾳ· ἢ παρὰ τὸ μάχῃ χαίρειν· ἢ ὅτι αἷμα χέει· ἢ παρὰ τὸ τοῖς αἵμασι χαίρειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς μάχην αἴρεσθαι καὶ λαμβάνεσθαι· ἢ διὰ τὸ χέειν αὖθις τὸ αἷμα)

Modern etymology

Unclear

Persistence in Modern Greek

Μάχαιρα is sometimes used in Modern Greek as an erudite form of μαχαίρι "knife" (neuter), from the old diminutive μαχαίριον (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek)

Entry By

Le Feuvre