Ἄρης

Validation

No

Word-form

ἄριστος

Transliteration (Word)

aristos

English translation (word)

best

Transliteration (Etymon)

Arēs

English translation (etymon)

Ares (god of war)

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1176

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἄριστος· κυρίως ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἰσχυρός· παρὰ τὸν ἄρην, ἐξ οὗ παρώνυμον ἀριστεύς. καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς προσήκοντος 

Translation (En)

Aristos "best": it refers properly to the one who is strong in battle. It comes from Ares, and the derivative is aristeus "champion". By extension, <it is used> for anything that is good

Comment

The superlative ἄριστος, as the comparative ἀρείων, are derived from the theonym Ares. This etymology implies the distinction between a proper meaning "best in battle" and a more general meaning by extension "best" whatever the field.

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges,p. 143 (idem); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 3 (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); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 196-197 (idem); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 198 (idem); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 263 (Ἄρης, ὁ πόλεμος, ἐξ οὗ κτητικὸν ἄρειος, ὡς Εὐριπίδης (HF 413 alibi), ἐξ οὗ συγκριτικὸν ἀρείων καὶ τὸ ὑπερθετικὸν ἄριστος, ὁ ἐν πολέμῳ μέγιστος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 291 (Ἄριστος. ὁ ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδραγαθῶν. παρὰ τῷ ἄρει τῷ πολέμῳ); Georgius Lacapenus, Epistulae 20, l. 161-165 (βέλτιον. ὅτι βέλτιον μὲν λέγεται ἐπὶ ψυχῆς, ἄριστον δὲ ἐπὶ σώματος ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἄρης, ὃ λέγεται ὁ πόλεμος. καί· ἄριστε Ἀχιλλεῦ, παρ’ Ἀριστείδῃ. λέγεται δὲ ἄριστος πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ ψυχῆς. κρείττων δὲ ἀεὶ ἐπὶ σώματος λέγεται, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπικρατέστερος); T Schol. Il. 6.7 (ἄριστον ἢ ἀνδρεῖον, ἢ διὰ τὸ εἰκάσθαι αὐτῷ Ἄρεα ἐν τῇ συμβολῇ); Geneva Schol. 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); Schol. Od. 5.442h Pontani (ἄριστος] ἤγουν ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ φανεὶς μέγας, ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἄρης ὁ πόλεμος); Schol. Pindarum, O. 1.1 (Τὸ ἄριστον ὑπερθετικὸν ὄνομα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρείων συγκριτικοῦ· τὸ δὲ ἀρείων παρὰ τὸ ἄρης, ὁ πόλεμος ......., ὁ ἐν πολέμοις ἰσχυρός); Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν, alpha 121 (τὸ ἄριστον ὄνομα ὑπερθετικὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρείων συγκριτικοῦ. τὸ δὲ ἀρείων παρὰ τὸ Ἄρης, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν πόλεμον· κυρίως γὰρ ἀρείων ὁ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ κρείττων)

Modern etymology

Ἄριστος and ἀρείων belong with ἀρετή and the root of ἀραρίσκω "to adapt", PIE *h2er- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Άριστος (fem. άριστη but also αρίστη today) is used in Modern Greek to designate the superlative of "good". Also the adverb άριστα is used as the superlative of the adverb, especially in terms of grades and performance,

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