ἀκή + ἀνθέω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
ἄκανθα
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
akantha
English translation (word)
thorn, prickle
Transliteration (Etymon)
akē + antheō
English translation (etymon)
point + to blossom
Century
9 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etym. Genuinum, alpha 296
Ed.
F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras, Etymologicum magnum genuinum. Symeonis etymologicum una cum magna grammatica. Etymologicum magnum auctum, vol. 1, Rome: Ateneo, 1976
Quotation
Ἄκανθα· ἀπὸ τοῦ τῇ ἀκῇ ἀνθεῖν, ὅ ἐστι τῇ ὀξύτητι
Translation (En)
Akantha "thorn": from the fact that it blossoms (antheîn) in points (akēi), that is, in sharpness
Parallels
Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 45 (idem); Ps-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 103 (idem); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 198 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 62 (Ἄκανθα· διὰ τὸ αἰκίζειν ἤγουν πλήττειν. ‖ ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐν τῇ ἀκ⟦ῇ ἀνθεῖν, ἤγουν⟧ ἐν τῇ ὀξύτητι); the text is corrupt in Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 138 (παρὰ τὸ ἐν τῇ ἀκῇ θέειν, ἢ ἐν τῇ ὀξύτητι)
Modern etymology
Although the etymology ἀκ-ανθα "sharp flower" is sometimes advocated nowadays, the word is probably a loanword in Greek (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has άκανθα 1. as a learned word designating 'thorn' (the vernacular form is αγκάθι), 2. the acanthus, decoration of the corinthian column, 3. hard and accute protrusion in anatomy.
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Descriptive etymology: the word is parsed as a compound referring to the appearance of the flower. It does not require any formal manipulation