εἴρω2
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
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Ed.
Quotation
γέρον: κλητικὴ διὰ τοῦ ο. | γέγονε δὲ παρὰ τὸ εἴρω, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ λέγω· γίνεται ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔρων καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ γ γέρων, ὡς ῥέα, γρέα. καὶ ὁ ποιητής· ‘ἀλλ’ ἀγορηταὶ | ἐσθλοί’ (Γ 150–51). ἢ παρὰ τὸ γέρας, τὸ σημαῖνον τὴν τιμήν· τιμῶμεν γὰρ τοὺς γέροντας. ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν ὁρᾶν, διὰ τὸ κεκυφέναι. ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν ἔρ<χ>εσθαι. παρὰ τὸ ῥέω, τὸ φθείρω· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἰσχνότερον γήρως
Translation (En)
Geron "old man": vocative, with [o]. It comes from eirō, which means "to say". From it comes erōn, and through adjunction of [g] gerōn, as rhea, grea. And Homer says "but they are good speakers" (Il. 3.150–1). Or from geras, which means "honor", because we honor old men. Or from the fact that they look on earth (eis gên horân), because they are stooped. Or from the fact that they go to earth, from rheō "to destroy". Because nothing is drier than old age
Parallels
Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, gamma 3 (Γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἔρρω, τὸ φθείρω, ἔρρων καὶ γέρων· ὁ μετὰ φθορᾶς εἰς τὸν Ἅιδην πορευόμενος. ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἴρω, τὸ λέγω· λεκτικοὶ γὰρ οἱ γέροντες, καὶ Ὅμηρος· ‘ἀλλ’ ἀγορηταὶ | ἐσθλοί’ (Γ 150-51). ἢ παρὰ τὸ γέρας, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν τιμήν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν ὁρᾶν); ibid., 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. Gudianum, gamma, p. 308 (Γέρων <Β 21>· παρὰ τὸ ἔρρω, τὸ φθείρω, ἔρρων καὶ γέρων, ὁ μετὰ φθορᾶς εἰς τὸν Ἅιδην πορευόμενος· ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἴρω, τὸ λέγω· λεκτικοὶ γὰρ οἱ γέροντες, καὶ Ὅμηρος <Γ 150 sq.>· „ἀλλ’ ἀγορηταὶ ἐσθλοί“· ἢ παρὰ τὸ γέρας, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν τιμήν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν ὁρᾶν. τοῦ γέροντος); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, gamma, p. 306 (Γέρων· τινές φασιν, ὁ εἰς γῆν ὁρῶν· ἢ ὁ μετὰ φθορᾶς πορευόμενος· ἢ ὁ καλῶς δημηγορῶν); 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); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, gamma, p. 426 (γέρων δὲ εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ εἰς τὴν γῆν ὁρᾷν. οἱ δὲ, παρὰ τὸ εἰς τὴν γῆν ἔῤῥειν· διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι θανάτου, ἔρων, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ γ γέρων. [ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἴρω τὸ λέγω, εἴρων καὶ γέρων]); Geneva scholion Il. 1.26 (γέγονε δὲ παρὰ τὸ εἴρω τὸ λέγω ἔρων καὶ γέρων· λεκτ<ικοὶ> γὰρ οἱ γέροντες· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἔρρω τὸ φ<θεί>ρω <ἔρρων> ἔρων καὶ γέρων, ὁ πρὸς φθορὰν ἀποβλέπων)
Comment
This paronymic etymology seeks its justification in the traditional role of old men, who are the counsellors. It is backed by various Homeric lines, for instance the one given here "they are good speakers", and the character of Nestor, the wise counsellor. It relies on a formal manipulation, the adjunction of a consonant at the beginning of the word