ἄγαν + νέομαι

Word

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Fri, 06/04/2021 - 14:47

Word-form

αἰγανέη

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ-1 .
LSJ-2

Transliteration (Word)

aiganeē

English translation (word)

javelin

Transliteration (Etymon)

agan + neomai

English translation (etymon)

in excess + to come back

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 159

Ed.

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

Quotation

Αἰγανέη (Β 774)· ἀκόντιόν τι μικρόν· ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν νεῖσθαι, τουτέστι πορεύεσθαι. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι. ἢ διὰ τὰς αἶγας· ἐπ’ αὐτὰς γὰρ μάλιστα ἵεται. ἢ διὰ τὸ εὐθετεῖν αὐτὰς εἰς αἰγῶν ἄγρας

Translation (En)

Aiganeē: a small spear. From the fact that it "comes" (neesthai), that is, it goes (poreuesthai) "with force" (agan). Or from the fact that it is thrown (hiesthai) with force. Or because of the goats (aigas), because it is mainly thorn at them or because these javelins are appropriate for goat hunting

Comment

The word is parsed as a compound of ἄγαν and the segmentation is *ἀγα-νέη, where the syllable [ne] is assumed to be the initial syllable of νέομαι. The verb is here understood as an equivalent for "to go" (see the gloss πορεύεσθαι) to which the scholiast resorts because it provides the [ne]. Notice that whereas αἰγανέη is used with ἵημι in the epics, which was used as a contextual justification of the competing etymology ἄγαν + ἵημι, the word is never used with νέομαι. As in the etymology ἄγαν + ἵημι (segmentation *ἀγαν-έη), a formal manipulation is requires, namely the insertion of an [i] after the initial [a]. The weapon is defined through one of its characteristics, speed

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 28 (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 77 (Αἰγανέα. ἀκόντιον μικρὸν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν νεῖσθαι, ὅ ἐστι πορεύεσθαι. [ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὰς αἶγας. ἐπ’ αὐτὰς γὰρ μάλιστα ἵεται); Scholia in Od. 4.626g1 Pontani (αἰγανέῃσιν] “αἰγανέα” δὲ λέγεται τὸ σμικρὸν ἀκόντιον. γίνεται δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κατ’ αἰγὸς ἵεσθαι, ὅ ἐστι πέμπεσθαι· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἀγκύλην ἐξ αἰγείων δερμάτων εἶναι· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τῶν αἰγῶν νέεσθαι· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν νέεσθαι); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 1.712 (Αἰγανέα τὸ ῥιπτάριον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀΐω τὸ ὁρμῶ· ἢ αἰγανέης καὶ καταπληκτικῆς. αἰγανέης· εἶδος ἀκοντίου παρὰ τὸ δίκην αἰγὸς νέεσθαι ταχὺ, τάχα δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν νέεσθαι καὶ πορεύεσθαι)

Bibliography

For a detailed study of the different etymologies proposed by Greek scholars for the different Homeric contexts, see C. Le Feuvre, "Implicit elements in scholiasts᾽ etymological analyses", in A. Zucker, C. Le Feuvre (Eds), Ancient and medieval Greek etymology. Theory and practice I, Berlin, de Gruyter, 2021, pp. 68-76

Modern etymology

The word is isolated in Greek. The connection with Vedic éjati ‘to set in movement’ is uncertain (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

"Αίγα" is still used in Modern Greek, as well as "αιγο-" as first compound in composite words such as "αιγοτρόφος".
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