κεῖμαι

Validation

No

Word-form

κειμήλιον

Transliteration (Word)

κειμēλιον

English translation (word)

treasure

Transliteration (Etymon)

keimai

English translation (etymon)

to lie

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

De orthographia, Lentz III/2, p. 169

Edition

A. Lentz, Grammatici graeci, vol. III/2, Leipzig 1870.

Source

Choeroboscus

Ref.

De orthographia (epitome) p. 232

Ed.

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

Quotation

(Herodian, Lentz) παρὰ τὸ θήσομαι θεμέλιον ὡς κείσομαι κειμήλιον

Translation (En)

From thēsomai "I will place' comes themelion as from keisomai "I will lie" keimēlion "treasure"

Comment

The word is analyzed as a derivative from κεῖμαι, which is the correct etymology by modern standards. The second and third syllables are left unaccounted for, as suffixes. The treasures are things which lie in a secure place.

Parallels

Porphyrius, Zetemata codicis Vaticani p. 299 (ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ κεῖσθαι κειμήλια λέγεται); Hesychius, Lexicon, kappa 1998 (κειμήλια· τὰ ἀπόθετα χρήματα r. ng, ἀπὸ τοῦ κεῖσθαι); Choeroboscus, De orthographia (epitome) p. 232 (Κειμήλιον: Διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου τὸ πρῶτον· ὥσπερ παρὰ θήσω μέλλοντα γίνεται θεμέλιον, οὕτως καὶ παρὰ τὸ κείσω μέλλοντα κειμήλιον· τὸ δὲ μη η ἐκ τοῦ κεῖμαι· τοῦ α εἰς η τραπέντος); Suda, kappa 1475 (Κειμήλια: κτήματα, ἢ ἀποκείμενα χρήματα); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 310 (Κειμήλια, ἀπόθετα χρήματα, ὡς παρὰ τὸν θήσω μέλλοντα γίνεται θεμέλιον, οὕτω καὶ παρὰ τὸν κείσω μέλλοντα γίνεται κειμήλιον· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κεῖσθαι τὰ μήλια, δι’ ὧν τινὰ ἐκμειλισσόμεθα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 508 (idem [except that the EM has μείλια instead of μήλια]); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa 1192 (idem [except that the form is μῆλα]); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 310 (Κειμήλιον, δῶρον καὶ χρῆμα ἀπόθετον, ἢ σκεῦος. τὸ κει δίφθογγος, παρὰ τὸν κείσω μέλλοντα γίνεται κειμήλιον· τὸ δὲ μη ἐκ τοῦ κεῖμαι τοῦ α εἰς η τραπέντος); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 2, 240 Van der Valk (Δῆλον δὲ ὡς ἐκ τοῦ κεῖσθαι παρῆκται τὸ κειμήλιον); ibid. 2, 317 (Ὅρα δὲ τὸ ἔκειτο, ἐξ οὗ παρῆκται τὸ κειμήλιον); Scholia in Od. δ 613f Pontani (“κειμήλιον” παρὰ τὸ κεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ ὁρᾶν τὸν ἥλιον)

Modern etymology

Derivative of κεῖμαι "to lie", from PIE root *k̑ey- "idem" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Κειμήλιο is used in Modern Greek to designate an object of the past with a special historical/emotional value which is carefully kept and maintained.

Entry By

Le Feuvre