Ἄρης
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
ἄριστος (Β 5): παρὰ τὸ ἀρείων· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν πόλεμον, γίνεται συγκριτικὸν ἀρείων, ἄριστος· ἐξ οὗ ἄριστος κυρίως ὁ ἐν πολέμῳ ἀνδραγαθῶν, καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν οἱῳδήποτε πράγματι
Translation (En)
Aristos "best": from areiōn "better"; the latter comes from Arēs, which means "war", and the comparative is areiōn, <superlative> aristos; from where aristos refers properly to the one excellent in combat, and by extension in any matter
Parallels
Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1147 (Ἀρείων (Ap. Rh. 2, 77 vl)· ὁ βελτίων· Ὅμηρος (*O 641 v. l.)· ‘πατρὸς πολὺ χείρονος υἱὸς ἀρείων’. εἴρηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἄρης, ἵν’ ᾖ κυρίως ὁ κατὰ πόλεμον καλλίων); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 1, 88 Van der Valk (ὁ δὲ τοιοῦτος κρείσσων, οὗ καὶ ῥῆμα τὸ κρεισσῶ παραδιδόασιν οἱ παλαιοί, λέγοιτ’ ἂν μάλα καιρίως καὶ ἀρείων παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης κατὰ τὸ «τί λέληκας; ἔχει νύ σε πολλὸν ἀρείων»); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 138 (Ἀρείων: Ὁ βελτίων· παρὰ τὸ ἄρης, ἵν’ ᾖ κυρίως ὁ κατὰ πόλεμον καλλίων); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 202 (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 288 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 143 (Ἄριστος: Παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης, ὁ πόλεμος, γίνεται συγκριτικὸν, ἀρείων· ἐξ οὗ ἄριστος, κυρίως ὁ ἐν πολέμῳ ἰσχυρὸς, καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς προήκοντος); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1. 260 (ἀρείοσι· κρείττοσι. μεταφορικὴ ἡ λέξις ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ βελτίστων· γίνεται δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄρης, ἄρεος· ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀρέων καὶ ἀρείων); Geneva scholion Il. 1.69 (ἄριστος] ἐκ τοῦ Ἄρης, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν πόλεμον, γίνεται Ἄρευς Ἄρεος καὶ ἀρείων καὶ ἄριστος· κυρίως ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἀριστεύων, καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν πᾶσι πράγμασιν); ibid., 1.260bis (ἀρείοσιν] ἐκ τοῦ Ἀρεύς Ἀρέος ἄρειος καὶ ἀρείων); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 1.178 (Ἀρειοτέροισι· κρείττοσι, μείζοσι, κρειττοτέροις, καλλιωτέροις κατὰ πόλεμον, γίνεται δὲ παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης· κυρίως γὰρ ἀρείων ὁ κατὰ πόλεμον ἀνδρεῖος)
Comment
The comparative is derived directly from a noun, that of Ares. The literal meaning is assumed to be "more warlike", hence, in a military context, "more valiant", "better". The difference between the proper use and the use by extension is given only for the superlative ἄριστος, the lemma, but is valid also for ἀρείων. The etymology does not require any formal manipulation provided one assumes the possibility of deriving a comparative from a proper name. The etymology was made easier by the derivative ἄρειος "warlike", which is phonetically very close to ἀρείων, but a direct connection between ἀρείων and is ἄρειος is very rare in our sources.