αἴξ + ἵημι
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Ed.
Quotation
αἰγανέας τὰ ἀκόντια. οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰγείοις ἱμᾶσιν ἠγκυλῶσθαι, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ διὰ τῶν αἰγείων ἱμάντων ἰέναι. λέγει δὲ οὕτω “καὶ αἰγανέας δολιχαύλους”, “καὶ αἰγανέῃσιν ἱέντες τόξοισίν τε”
Translation (En)
Aiganeas "javelins"; for some, because they are "propelled by" (ēnkulōsthai) "goatskin" (aigeiois) straps (himāsin); for others, because they are thrown violently (agan hiesthai); for others because they "move" (ienai) thanks to their "goatskin" propellers (dia tôn aigeiōn himantōn). And Homer says that: ‘καὶ αἰγανέας δολιχαύλους’ (ι 156) ‘καὶ αἰγανέῃσιν ἱέντες τόξοισίν τε’ (Β 774–775)
Parallels
Structure "propelled by (goat)-leather straps": Eustathius, Comm. Il. 1, 538 Van der Valk (Αἰγανέα δὲ εἶδος ἀκοντίου ἐλαφροῦ παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ἤτοι πέμπεσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὸ δεξιὸν εἶναι εἰς θήραν αἰγῶν κατὰ τοὺς παλαιούς, οἵ φασι καί, ὅτι αἰγανέα, ἧς ἡ ἀγκύλη ἐξ αἰγείου δορᾶς); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 28 (Αἰγανέα: Ἀκόντιόν τι μικρόν· ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ὅ ἐστι πορεύεσθαι καὶ πέμπεσθαι, ἢ νεῖσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἀγκύλην τὴν ἐξ αἰγείου δέρματος γεγενημένην. Ἢ διὰ τὰς αἶγας· ἐπ’ αὐτὰς γὰρ μάλιστα ἵενται. Ἢ διὰ τὸ εὐθετεῖν αὐτὰς εἰς αἰγῶν ἄγρας); Scholia in Ap. Rh. Arg. p. 191 (in Arg. 2.829: αἰγανέην: ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὴν ἀγκύλην τὴν ἐξ αἰγείου δέρματος γεγενημένην, ἢ διὰ τὰς αἶγας, παρὰ τὸ ἐπ’ αὐτὰς νεῖσθαι); Scholia in Od. δ 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 Od. δ 626f Pontani (αἰγανέῃσιν: δορατίοις, παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἀγκύλην ἐξ αἰγείων δερμάτων εἶναι); Hesychius, Lexicon, alpha 1683 (αἰγανέας· ἀκόντια (b) ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰγείοις ἱμᾶσιν ἠγκυλῶσθαι); the explanation was misunderstood in Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 2.497 (αἰγανέα κυρίως ἡ κώπη, ἡ λαβὴ, ἤτοι ἡ κράτησις τοῦ κοντοῦ, ἡ οὖσα ἀπ’ αἰγὸς κεράτου).
Structure "thrown at goats": D Scholion Il. 2.774 (αἰγανέῃσιν] ἀκοντίοις. ἤτοι παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ἢ παρὰ τὸ εὐθετεῖν αὐτὰς εἰς αἰγῶν ἄγραν); Geneva Scholion Il. 2.774 (idem); D Scholion Il. 16.589 (αἰγανέης] εἶδος ἀκοντίου πρὸς αἰγῶν ἄγραν ἐπιτηδείου); Geneva Scholion Il. 16.589 (idem); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 159 (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); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 1, 538 Van der Valk (Αἰγανέα δὲ εἶδος ἀκοντίου ἐλαφροῦ παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ἤτοι πέμπεσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὸ δεξιὸν εἶναι εἰς θήραν αἰγῶν κατὰ τοὺς παλαιούς, οἵ φασι καί, ὅτι αἰγανέα, ἧς ἡ ἀγκύλη ἐξ αἰγείου δορᾶς); ibid., 3, 902 (Ἔστι δὲ αἰγανέα οὐχ’ ἁπλῶς δόρυ ἀλλὰ ἐλαφρὸν καὶ μακρόν, λεγομένη οὕτω διὰ τὸ κατὰ αἰγῶν ἢ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ὡς καὶ ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ δηλοῦται); Eustathius, Comm. Od. 1, 185 Stallbaum (Ἡ δὲ αἰγανέα, εἶδος ἀκοντίου ἐπιτηδείου εἰς αἰγῶν θήραν. καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἵεσθαι κατὰ αἰγῶν. ἢ καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι); ibid., 1, 330 (Αἰγανέαι δὲ, εἴπερ κατὰ αἰγῶν ἵενται, ἰδοὺ ἐνταῦθα ἐπαληθεύει αὐταῖς τοὔνομα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 28 (Αἰγανέα: Ἀκόντιόν τι μικρόν· ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, ὅ ἐστι πορεύεσθαι καὶ πέμπεσθαι, ἢ νεῖσθαι, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἀγκύλην τὴν ἐξ αἰγείου δέρματος γεγενημένην. Ἢ διὰ τὰς αἶγας· ἐπ’ αὐτὰς γὰρ μάλιστα ἵενται. Ἢ διὰ τὸ εὐθετεῖν αὐτὰς εἰς αἰγῶν ἄγρας); 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. δ 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); δ 626g2 Pontani (αἰγανέῃσιν] δορατίοις ἐπιτηδείοις εἰς αἰγῶν θήραν)
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
Comment
Elliptic etymology: the word is parsed as a compound of αἴξ "goat" (contained in the derived adjective αἰγειοῖς) and ἵημι "to throw". However, the verb is not explicitly given here, but instead a semantic equivalent, more precise in this context, is provided, ἀγκυλόω, because the ἀγκύλη, the leather strap used to propel the weapon and to throw it (ἵημι) is the part which, made of leather, allows a connection with "goat". The etymon, ἵημι, is given explicitly for the alternative etymology mentioned by Apollonius, ἄγαν ἵεσθαι, with the same second element but the first element of the compound identified as ἄγαν and not as αἴξ. The interesting thing about this etymology is that it allows for two meanings, according to the internal structure of the compound : either "which is thrown by (goat)-leather straps" (with "goat" used as an instrumental, or "which is thrown against goats" (with "goat" used as a directive accusative). Greek etymology never explicitly raised the problem of compound structure but the translations given show that as a matter of fact two different structures were assumed (see Parallels). Eustathius gives both interpretations, but apparently did not understand that the reference to the ἀγκύλη was in fact an explanation of the etymology αἴξ + ἵημι, and he was not the only one to miss that point. The ἀγκύλη has been transformed in a scholion to Oppian into a "handle" made of a goat's horn instead of goatskin