ἀνάγω

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Thu, 08/25/2022 - 15:35

Word-form

ἀνάγκη

Transliteration (Word)

anankē

English translation (word)

necessity

Transliteration (Etymon)

anagō

English translation (etymon)

to lead up

Author

Orion?

Century

5 AD

Source

Etym. Genuinum

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 783

Ed.

F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras, Etymologicum magnum genuinum. Symeonis etymologicum una cum magna grammatica. Etymologicum magnum auctum, vol. 1, Rome: Ateneo, 1976

Quotation

Ἀνάγκη· παρὰ τὸ ἀνάγω ἀνάγη καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ ἀνάγκη· <***> ἡ πάντα κρατοῦσα. Ὠρίων

Translation (En)

Anankē "necessity": from anagō "to lead up", and through the addition of the [k], anankē, the one dominating everything. Orion

Comment

From the formal point of view, the etymology clearly exemplifies the confusion between the phonological and graphic levels, as it implies a formal manipulation, the insertion of a [k]: starting from *ἀνάγη (a ghost-word invented as an intermediate step for the sake of the etymology), this is indeed correct from the graphic point of view, but the γ is not pronounced in ἀνάγκη ([ŋ]) as it is *ἀνάγη ([g]). The etymologists reasoned on the written form and operated with letters, not asking the question of the phonetic shape of the word. The Genuinum says the etymology comes from Orion, although it is not preserved in what remains of Orion. Choeroboscus has a corrupt formulation where several elements are missing.

Parallels

Etym. Parvum, alpha 43 (Ἀνάγκη· παρὰ τὸ ἀνάγω ἀνάγη καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ ἀνάγκη); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 136 (Ἀνάγκη, παρὰ τὸ ἄγω ἄγη καὶ ἀνάγκη, ἐπειδὴ τὸ ταῖς ἀγκάλαις κρατούμενον κατὰ δύναμιν ἀφυκτότερον κρατεῖται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄκος, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν θεραπείαν, πρὸς ἣν ἄκος οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 95 (Ἀνάγκη: Ἡ θεὸς, παρὰ τὸ ἀνάσσω. Καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀνάγκη· πάντων γὰρ ἐπικρατεῖ. Εἰ δὲ ἦν ἐπίρρημα, ὀξύνετο ἂν, ὡς στενάχω, στεναχή. Παρὰ τὸ ἄγω οὖν, ἄγη· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ   ἀνάγκη, ἡ πάντα κρατοῦσα. Ἢ ἀγκὰς, ἀγκὴ καὶ ἀνάγκη· ἐπειδὴ τὸ ταῖς ἀγκάλαις κρατούμενον κατὰ δύναμιν ἀφυκτότερον κρατεῖται. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄκος, πρὸς ἣν ἄκος οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 22 (ἀνάγκη· παρὰ τὸ ἄγω ἄγη, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ <ἄγκη καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἀνά> ἀνάγκη. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀνάσσω, ἡ πάντων ἀνάσσουσα); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 178 (ἀνάγκη· παρὰ τὸ ἄγω ἄγη, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ ἀνάγκη. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀνάσσω, ἡ πάντων ἀνάσσουσα)

Modern etymology

Ἀνάγκη is isolated within Greek but has cognates in other IE languages: Hitt. henkan- "death", O.Irish écen "fate" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ανάγκη, meaning: 1. 'something imposed by reality', 2. 'urination, defecetion', 3. 'emotional need', 4. 'absence of basic material goods'. There also are a lot of phrases ("έπεσα στην ανάγκη του").

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