γῆ + ἐράω
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
Ἰστέον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι γέροντας ἐνταῦθα οὐ τοὺς ἐσχατογήρους λέγει, οἵ γε δὴ καὶ κυφογέροντες ἐπιλέγονται, ἢ παρὰ τὸ γῆς ἐρᾶν κυρίως οὕτω λεγόμενοι γέροντες πλησίον ὄντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ θανάτου ἢ παρὰ τὸ τὴν γῆν ὁρᾶν, τῷ κεκυφέναι καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν νενευκότας περιπατεῖν
Translation (En)
One has to know also that in this passage he calls old men (gerontas) not those who have reached the extreme old age, who are also called kuphogerontes "stooped old men" – old men are thus properly called either from the fact that they desire (erân) earth (gês), because death is near them, or from the fact that they look on earth, because they are bent and walk inclined toward the ground
Parallels
Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, gamma 26 (γέρων: παρὰ τὸ εἴρω, τὸ λέγω, ἔρων καὶ γέρων· λεκτικοὶ γὰρ μᾶλλον οἱ γέροντες ‘ἀλλ’ ἀγορηταὶ | ἐσθλοί, {τε}τεττίγεσσι ἐοικότες’ (Γ 150-51). οἱ δὲ πλανώμενος λέγουσιν, ὁ εἰς τὴν γῆν ὁρῶν· —ἢ εἰς τὴν γῆν ῥέων […] οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν παρὰ τὸ ἔρρω ἔρων <καὶ γέρων>, ὁ ἐφθαρμένος ἤδη, ὡς παρὰ τὸ ῥέω, τὸ διαφθείρω, γραῖα, ἡ διεφθαρμένη. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐρῶ ἐρᾷς καὶ γέρας (πᾶς γὰρ γέρατος ἐπιθυμεῖ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 226 (Γέρων: Παρὰ τὸ ἔρρω, τὸ φθείρω, ἔρρων καὶ γέρων, ὁ μετὰ φθορᾶς εἰς τὸν ᾅδην πορευόμενος, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ γ. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς τὴν γῆν ἔρρειν, τουτέστι φθείρεσθαι, διὰ τὸ θανάτου ἐγγὺς εἶναι. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν ὁρᾶν τῷ κεκυφέναι, καὶ περὶ αὐτὴν νενευκότα περιπατεῖν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ τῆς γῆς ἐρᾶν, πλησίον ὄντας θανάτου καὶ τάφου δεομένους. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ γέρας, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν τιμήν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἴρω, τὸ λέγω· λεκτικοὶ γὰρ οἱ γέροντες· ἔρων καὶ γέρων)
Comment
This is a transfer to γέρων of one of the etymologies proposed for γῆρας "old age" (see γῆρας / γῆ + ἐράω), because of the natural association of γέρων and γῆρας