ζέω + λίαν

Word

Validation

No

Word-form

ζῆλος

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ-1.
LSJ-2.

Transliteration (Word)

zēlos

English translation (word)

jealousy, zeal

Transliteration (Etymon)

zeō + lian

English translation (etymon)

to boil + very

Author

Theognostus

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Canones sive De orthographia 470

Ed.

J.A. Cramer, Anecdota Graeca e codd. manuscriptis bibliothecarum Oxoniensium, vol. 2, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1835 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1963)

Quotation

Ζῆλος, τὸ ζη η· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ ζέω ῥῆμα καὶ τὸ λίαν ζέλος, ὁ γὰρ ζῆλος θερμὸς λίαν ὀφείλει εἶναι, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ε εἰς η ζῆλος

Translation (En)

Zēlos "zeal", the zē <with> eta. Because it comes from zeō "to boil" and lian "very", *zelos. As a matter of fact, zeal must be very warm. And through change of the [e] into [ē], zēlos.

Comment

Etymology designed to account for the [lo], left unaccounted for in the older explanation deriving ζήλος from ζέω (ζῆλος / ζέω). The word, accordingly, is parsed as a compound instead of a derivative, and the second element is identified as λίαν "much", only the first consonant of which is kept in the compound. The etymology relies as usual on the acrophonic principle, and on the familiar alternation between ε and η (τίθημι / τίθεμεν).

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, zeta 35 (Παρὰ τὸ ζέω καὶ τὸ λίαν γίνεται ζέλος καὶ ζῆλος· θερμὸς γάρ ἐστι λίαν ὁ ζῆλος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ζέειν, ὁ φλεγμαίνειν καὶ ἐκκαίεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ποιῶν. Ἢ ὁ ζητῶν πρός τινα ἄλλον ζῆν· οἷον, ‘ζηλοῖ δέ τε γείτονα γείτων’ [ed. M.P. Funaioli, Museum Criticum XVIII, 1983, p. 303-312]); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 411 (Ζῆλος: Ὁ φθόνος. Παρὰ τὸ ζέω καὶ τὸ λίαν γίνεται ζέλος καὶ ζῆλος· θερμὸς γάρ ἐστι λίαν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ζέειν, ὁ φλεγμαίνειν καὶ ἐκκαίεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ποιῶν· φλέγει γὰρ ἐν τῷ βάθει. Ἢ ὁ ἐκ τῆς ζέσεως τοῦ θυμοῦ γινόμενος. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ζάλη, ζάλος καὶ ζῆλος· ὁ γὰρ ζῆλος ζάλην βάλλει εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἢ ὁ ζητῶν πρός τινα ἄλλον ζῆν· οἷον, ‘ζηλοῖ δέ τε γείτονα γείτων’); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, zeta, p. 956 (παρὰ τὸ ζέω καὶ τὸ λίαν γέγονε ζέλος καὶ ζῆλος· ὁ γὰρ ζῆλος θερμός ἐστιν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ζέειν, ὁ φλεγμαίνειν καὶ ἐκκαίεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐμποιῶν. ἢ ὁ ζητῶν πρός τινα ἄλλον ζῆν. Ἡσίοδος ‘ζηλοῖ δέ τε γείτονα γείτων’); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 1.500 (Οἶστρος· μανία, ζῆλος, φθόνος, ζηλοτυπία ὑπάρχει ἐν ἰχθύσι χάριν τῶν θηλειῶν· ζῆλος παρὰ τὸ λίαν ζέειν ζέλος καὶ ζῆλος· ὁ φλεγμαίνειν καὶ ἐκκαίεσθαι ποιῶν τὴν ψυχήν, ἢ ὁ λῶν ἤτοι θέλων τὸ ζῆν, ὡς Ἡσίοδος (Op. 23) ‘ζηλοῖ δέ τε γείτονα γείτων’)

Modern etymology

Within Greek, ζῆλος belongs with ζητέω "to seek", δίζημαι "to pursue", but the connection was lost in synchrony. PIE root *i̯eh2- "pursue" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

In Modern Greek ζήλος is still used to designqte the fervent derire for realizing something, but also the actions that someone takes in order to achieve a purpose.

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