αἴξ + νέομαι
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
“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
Translation (En)
Aiganea is the name of the small javelin. It comes from the fact that it is thrown, that is, sent, at goats; or it comes from ‘to be thrown with force’ through the addition of i; or from the fact that the propeller is made out of goat skin; or from the fact that it "goes" (neesthai) against "goats" (kata tôn aigôn); or from the fact that it goes with force.
Parallels
Structure "going against goats": 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); b Scholion Il. 16.589 (589a2 Erbse) (αἰγανέη εἴρηται ἀπὸ τοῦ νεῖσθαι εἰς αἶγας. | ἔστι δὲ εἶδος ἀκοντίου); T Scholion Il. 16.589 (589a1 Erbse) (αἰγανέη<ς>: διὰ τὸ εἰς αἶγας γενέσθαι· „ὦρσαν δὲ Νύμφαι ι <... /> αἶγας ὀρεσκῴους <...> καὶ αἰγανέας <.../> εἱλόμεθ’ <ἐκ νεῶν>“ (ι 154–7) [the διὰ τὸ εἰς αἶγας γενέσθαι is probably a reformulation of the older version found in the b scholion to the same line]).
Structure "going like a goat": 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
Comment
The etymology is part of a four-term system in which two possible first members (ἄγαν or αἴξ) and two possible second members (ἵημι or νἐομαι) are combined, yielding the four explanations νέομαι + ἵημι, ἄγαν + ἵημι (then was inserted a scholion from another manuscript, which also relies on the combination ἄγαν + ἵημι), αἴξ + ἵημι, ἄγαν + νἐομαι. Νέομαι here is taken as an equivalent of "to go", providing the syllable [ne], not in its proper meaning "to come back." A scholion to Oppian understands it differently, as "moving quickly like a goat" (comparative compound)