θαμά

Validation

Yes

Word-form

ἅμα

Transliteration (Word)

hama

English translation (word)

at the same time

Transliteration (Etymon)

thama

English translation (etymon)

often, frequently

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus

Century

2 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

De adverbiis, Schneider II/1,1, p. 153

Ed.

R. Schneider, Grammatici Graeci, vol. 2.1, Leipzig: Teubner, 1878 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1965): 119-210

Quotation

Βαρύνεται καὶ ὅσα οὐκ ἐν ὁμοφωνίᾳ γίνεται πληθυντικῶν οὐδετέρων ὀνομάτων. παρὰ τὸ ταχύς ἐστιν ὄνομα πληθυντικὸν ταχέα, ἀφ’ οὗ ἐπίρρημα οὐχ ὁμόφωνον τὸ τάχα· λιγύς λιγέα λίγα· κρατύς κρατέα κράτα καὶ κάρτα· ὠκύς ὠκέα ὦκα.—Διὸ καὶ σημειωτέον παρὰ τὸ θαμύς, ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ τὸ θαμέες [καὶ] πληθυντικὸν <καὶ> τὸ θαμέα, [ὡς] τὸ θαμά, <οὐχ ὡς> ταχέα τάχα. ὅπερ πάλιν διελέγχεται καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἅμα, εἴγε δύναται ἐν ἐνδείᾳ εἶναι τοῦ θ· τὸ γὰρ πυκνῶς γινόμενον ὑφ’ ἕνα καιρὸν γίνεται. Τρύφων μέντοι τοὐναντίον φησίν, ὡς τὸ θαμά ἐπλεόνασε τῷ θ, τῇ αὐτῇ ἐτυμολογίᾳ ἀρκούμενος. ἐπιστούμεθα δὲ τὸ θαμά ἐντελέστερον διὰ τῆς τοῦ <θαμέα> ὀνόματος παραθέσεως.

Translation (En)

Every adverb which is not homophonous with the neuter plural of the noun is barytone. From takhus "quick: the plural is takhea, from which is derived the adverb, not homophonous, takha "quickly"; ligus "sonorous", <plural> ligea, <adverb> liga "clearly"; kratus "strong", <plural> kratea, <adverb> krata and karta "strongly"; ōkus "fast", ōkea, ōka "speedily". For that reason one must notice, from thamus "dense", the plural of which is thamees (masc.) and thamea (n.), the adverb thama "frequently" [oxytone], not as takhea takha. Which is proved once again by the form hama "at the same time", since it can also be found without the [th]: because what is dense is produced in one single moment. Tryphon, though, says the opposite, that thama adds the [th], being content with the same etymology. But we know that thama is more complete through comparison with the noun thamea

Comment

Apollonius relates correctly θαμά "frequently" to θαμύς "dense, frequent" and notices the irregular final stress of the adverb. He then justifies this derivation by the adverb ἅμα "at the same time", which is according to him derived from θαμά through dropping of the initial θ: ἅμα is "barytone" (that is, has a non final stress) as the rule posits, therefore it implies that the underlying form was *θάμα, regularly derived from θαμύς as τάχα from ταχύς. Apollonius does not explain why the stress would have shifted to the final syllable in the attested θαμά. The etymology is reversible: Tryphon (1st c. BC) derived θαμά from ἅμα (see θαμά / ἅμα). From the semantic point of view, the etymology relies on a transfer of the spatial meaning to the temporal one, what is dense (in space) is condensed in time

Parallels

Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 123 (ἅμα ἐκ τοῦ θαμὰ, διατί δασύνεται; Ἀναχωρήσαντος οὖν τοῦ Θ ἔμεινεν ἡ ἀναλογοῦσα δασεῖα. Διατί βαρύνεται; Τὰ εἰς Α λήγοντα βαρύτονα ἅπαντα βαρύνεται, οἷον τάχα, ἅμα, σάφα, χωρὶς τοῦ θαμά); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 102 (idem); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 575 (Ἅμα· τὸ ἐπίρρημα· παρὰ τὸ θαμά, τὸ συνεχῶς, καὶ κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ θ ἅμα· τὸ γὰρ πυκνῶς γινόμενον κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ἀποτελεῖται χρόνον. τὸ δὲ θαμά γέγονεν οὕτως· ἔστι θαμός, ἐξ οὗ τὸ θαμειός, ὡς ἀδελφός ἀδελφειός, καὶ τὸ θηλυκὸν θαμειά καὶ τὸ οὐδέτερον θαμόν, ἡ εὐθεῖα τῶν πληθυντικῶν θαμά καὶ τὸ ἐπίρρημα θαμά); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.52f (θαμειαί: παρὰ τὸ θαμά ἐπίρρημα, σημαίνει δὲ τὸ συνεχὲς καὶ πυκνόν. γίνεται οὖν θαμός θαμειός καὶ θαμειαί. τὸ δὲ θαμά ἐκ τοῦ ἅμα καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ θαμά· καὶ σεσημείωται κατὰ τὸν τόνον· οὕτως ὁ Ὠρίων. | ὁ δὲ Χάραξ μᾶλλον τὸ ἅμα ἐκ τοῦ θαμά παράγει, ἀποβολῇ τοῦ θ, καὶ βαρύνει. τὸ δὲ θαμά ἐκ τοῦ θαμός, θαμή καὶ θαμόν καὶ θαμά ἐπίρρημα); Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 254 (idem); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 74 (ἅμα (Β 281): δασύνεται· ὥσπερ ἐστὶ χάζω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, καὶ ἐκβολῇ τοῦ χ ἔμεινεν ἡ ἀναλογοῦσα τῷ χ δασεῖα ἐν τῷ ἅζω, οὕτως ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ ἅμα ἐκ τοῦ θάμα); ibid., alpha 153 (Τὸ ἅμα δασύνεται· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρὰ τὸ χάζω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, γίνεται κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ χ ἅζω, ἔμεινε δὲ ἡ ἀναλογοῦσα τῷ χ δασεῖα, οὕτως καὶ ἐκ τοῦ θαμά, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ πυκνόν, γίνεται κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ θ ἅμα· τὸ γὰρ πυκνὸν καὶ ἐπάλληλον ἅμα γίνεται καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 102 (Ἅμα <Β 281>· δασύνεται· ὥσπερ ἐστὶ χάζω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, καὶ ἐκβολῇ τοῦ χ ἔμεινεν ἡ ἀναλογοῦσα τῷ χ δασεῖα ἐν τῷ ἅζω, οὕτως ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἅμα καὶ τῷ θαμά); ibid., p. 103 (τὸ ἅμα δασύνεται· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρὰ τὸ χάζω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, γίνεται κατὰ ἀποβολὴν <τοῦ χ ἅζω, ἔμεινε δὲ ἡ ἀναλογοῦσα τῷ χ δασεῖα, οὕτως καὶ ἐκ τοῦ θαμά, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ πυκνόν, γίνεται κατὰ ἀποβολὴν> τοῦ θ ἅμα· τὸ γὰρ πυκνὸν καὶ ἐπάλληλον ἅμα γίνεται καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ. | Ἅμα· παρὰ τὸ θαμά ἅμα κατὰ ἀνάδοσιν τόνου); ibid., p. 103-104 (γίνεται δὲ ἐκ τοῦ θαμά, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ πυκνόν, ἀποβολῇ τοῦ θ ἅμα· τὸ γὰρ πυκνὸν <καὶ> ἐπάλληλον ἅμα γίνεται καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ. βαρύνεται· τὰ εἰς α λήγοντα ἐπιρρήματα δισύλλαβα ἅπαντα βαρύνεται, οἷον ὦκα τάχα σάφα ἅμα λίγα λίπα· χωρὶς τοῦ θαμά. ἅ<μα> δὲ σημαίνει, ὧν ἡ γένεσις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ. δασύνεται· ἀναχωρήσαντος οὖν τοῦ θ ἔμεινεν ἡ ἀναλογοῦσα τῷ θ δασεῖα); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 103 (Ἅμα· παρὰ τὸ θαμά, τὸ συνεχές, κατὰ ἀφαίρεσιν τοῦ θ· τὸ γὰρ πυκνῶς ⸤γινόμενον κατὰ⸥ τὸν αὐτὸν ἀποτελεῖται χρόνον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 75 (Ἅμα: Ἐπίρρημα συλλήψεως ἢ ἀθροίσεως· παρὰ τὸ θαμὰ τὸ συνεχῶς καὶ πυκνῶς· τὸ γὰρ πυκινὸν καὶ ἐπάλληλον ἅμα γίνεται, καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ. Τὸ δὲ θαμὰ οὕτω· Ἔστι θαμὸς, ἐξ οὗ θαμειά· τὸ οὐδέτερον, θαμόν· ἡ εὐθεῖα τῶν πληθυντικῶν, θαμά· καὶ τὸ ἐπίρρημα, θαμά. Οὐ γὰρ γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ θαμὺς θαμειὸς, ἀφ’ οὗ τὸ, ‘θαμέες γὰρ ἄκοντες’. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὀξύναιτο θαμειός. Μεθόδιος. Ὥσπερ δὲ παρὰ τὸ χάζω γίνεται ἅζω· ἔμεινε δὲ ἀναλογοῦσα τῷ χ δασεῖα· οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ θαμὰ ἅμα δασύνεται καὶ βαρύνεται); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 365 (ἅμα· τὸ ἐπίρρημα· παρὰ τὸ θαμά, <ὅ> ἐστι συνεχῶς, <καὶ> κατὰ ἀποβολὴν—5 θαμά καὶ τὸ ἐπίρρημα <θαμά>. οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ θαμύς θαμειός, ἀφ’ οὗ τὸ (Λ 552)  ‘θαμέες γὰρ ἄκοντες’); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 164 (Ἅμα. Δημοσθένης ἐπὶ τοῦ εὐθέως καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔταξε, παρὰ τὸ θαμὰ, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ θ ἅμα); Geneva Scholion Il. 1.52 (<θαμειός>. γίγνεται παρὰ τὸ θαμὰ ἐπίρρημα, τὸ συνεχῶς καὶ πυκνῶς, θαμός θαμειός θαμειαί, τὸ δὲ θαμά ἐκ τοῦ ἅμα· σεσημείωται κατὰ τὸν τόνον. ὁ Ὠρίων· ὁ μέντοι Χάραξ, μᾶλλον τὸ ἅμα ἐκ τοῦ θαμά)

Modern etymology

Ἅμα is derived from the PIE root *sem- "one", found in εἷς "one", ὁμός "similar", ὅμοιος "similar", the copulative ἁ-, and cognate with Lat. semel "once", simul "at the same time", similis "similar", Engl. same

Persistence in Modern Greek

Modern Greek still has άμα, not as an adverb but as a conjunction with many uses: 1. temporal, "when, as soon as", 2. conditional "if", 3. threat, 4. contradiction, 5. introduces indirect conditional question. It is also used in some learned phrases.

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