ἄντομαι
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
ἄντρον: ἀνάτορόν τι ὄν, τὸ ἀνατετρημένον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄνθος ἀνθηρόν ἄνθρον καὶ ἄντρον· λειμωνι<ά>δων γὰρ νυμφῶν ἐνδιαίτημα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄντομαι, τὸ ἱκετεύω· ‘ἅζετο δ’ ἀντομένην Ἥραν’ (Ap. Rh. 3, 77) καὶ ‘ἀλλ’ ἀντόμεθα πρὸς Ζηνὸς Ὀλυμπίου’ (fr. trag. adesp. 145a; SH 1018)· ἐν ἄντροις γὰρ τοὺς θεοὺς ἱκέτευον, ἱερὰ τὰ σπήλαια ἡγούμενοι.
Translation (En)
Antron "cave": an *anatoron, as it were, that which is pierced (anatetrēmenon). Or from anthos "flower", anthēron "flowery" and antron: because it is the residence of the meadow nymphs. Or from antomai "to implore" : ‘She was awestruck to see Hera beseeching her’ (Ap. Rh., Arg. 3.77, transl. Race, Loeb) and ‘let us turn as supplicants to Olympian Zeus’ (fr. trag. adesp. 145a; SH 1018): because they used to worship the gods in caves, thinking the caves were sacred
Parallels
Etym. Genuinum, alpha 938 (Ἄντρον· τὸ σπήλαιον γ 103, 347· ‘ἐγγύθι δ’ αὐτῆς ἄντρον ἐπήρατον ἠεροειδές’, ἀνάτορόν τι ὄν, τὸ ἀνατετρημένον· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄνθη ἄνθηρον καὶ ἄνθρον καὶ ἄντρον κατὰ συγκοπήν· εἶναι γὰρ λειμονίδων νυμφῶν ἐνδιαίτημα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄντω, τὸ ἱκετεύω, ἄντομαι καὶ (Ap. Rh. 3, 77) ‘ἀντομένην Ἥρην’, ἄντορον καὶ ἄντρον, διότι θεοὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἱκέτευον ἱερὰ τὰ σπήλαια ἡγούμενοι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 115 (idem); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 86 (ἄντρον (ν 103, 347)· τὸ σπήλαιον· ἀνάτορόν τι ὄν, τὸ ἀνατετρημένον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄνθη ἄνθηρον καὶ ἄνθρον καὶ ἄντρον· εἶναι γὰρ λειμωνιάδων θεῶν ἐνδιαίτημα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄντω, τὸ ἱκετεύω, ἄντορον καὶ ἄντρον, διότι θεοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ ἱκέτευον); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 193 (idem)
Comment
Paronymic etymology deriving the name of the cave from the verb "to meet", not in its usual meaning but in the specialized meaning "to meet a god", that is, "to be supplicant of a god", "to pray". It relies on the fact that caves were indeed often turned into places of worship.