λιαρός
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
λίς
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
lis
English translation (word)
lion
Transliteration (Etymon)
liaros
English translation (etymon)
warm
Century
5 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, lambda, p. 91
Ed.
F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820
Quotation
Λὶς, ὁ λέων. παρὰ τὸ λιαρόν. ἔνθερμον γὰρ τὸ ζῶον
Translation (En)
Lis "lion": from liaros "warm", because the animal is warm-blooded
Parallels
Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, lambda, p. 1309 (idem); A and bT Scholion Il. 15,275b Erbse (λίς: παρὰ τὸ λιαρόν, ἢ τὸ ἑλεῖν, ἢ τὸ λεῖον· λεῖος γὰρ ὅλος πλὴν τῆς χαίτης. ἢ παρὰ τὸ λίαν φθείρειν); Etym. Genuinum, lambda 119 (Λίς: Ὁ λέων, παρὰ τὸ λιαρόν· ἔνθερμον γάρ ἐστι τὸ ζῷον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 567 (idem)
Modern etymology
Rare poetic form, thought to be a loanword from Semitic (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
No
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The etymology is quite surprising. It could apply to any warm-blooded animal and the reason why the lion was singled out is simply the paronymic relationship between two words sharing the same initial syllable. It is an instance of acrophonic etymology. This etymology implies that the suffix -αρος is lost in the derivation.