αἴξ + εἶμι
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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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 goatskin (aigeiois) straps; 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
There is no exact parallel with εἶμι
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 word is parsed as a compound of αἴξ and εἶμι. From the semantic point of view, the explanation is identical with the one Apollonius provides before, through αἴξ + ἵημι: the javelin is thrown (ἵημι) or moves (εἶμι) thanks to the leather strap. It is not clear whether εἶμι here is really identified as the second element or we are dealing with an elliptic etymology where εἶμι is given as the translation of νέομαι, the combination αἴξ + νέομαι being often mentioned in Homeric scholia (see αἰγανέη / αἴξ + νέομαι) whereas αἴξ + εἶμι is found only here. What is certain is that Apollonius understands the second element here as a motion verb and that ἰέναι is not a misspelling for ἱέναι "to throw", as can be concluded from the quotations given, the first of which illustrates the meaning "far-going", therefore implying a motion verb