διά
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
Δία
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
Zeus
English translation (word)
Zeus
Transliteration (Etymon)
dia
English translation (etymon)
through
Century
3 BC
Reference
fr. 1063
Edition
J. von Arnim, Stoicorum veterum fragmenta, vol. 2, Leipzig, 1903
Source
Ioannes Lydus
Ref.
De mensibus 4.48
Ed.
Röther, De mensibus que existant Excerpta; Leipzig, Teubner 1827
Quotation
Κράτης δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ διαίνειν, τουτέστι πιαίνειν τὴν Γῆν βούλεται ὀνομασθῆναι τὸν Δία, τὸν εἰς πάντα διήκοντα· Ποσειδώνιος τὸν Δία τὸν πάντα διοικοῦντα· Χρύσιππος δὲ διὰ τὸ δι’ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὰ πάντα
Translation (En)
Kratès says Zeus (Dia) is named after the fact that it wets, that is, fertilizes, the Earth, as the one reaching everything. Posidonius says he is called Zeus because he lives everywhere. And Chrysippus says that is because through him (di' auton) all things exist
Parallels
Cornutus, De natura deorum 3, 8-9 (Δία δὲ αὐτὸν καλοῦμεν ὅτι δι’ αὐτὸν γίνεται καὶ σώζεται πάντα); Stobaeus, Eclogae 1.31 (Χρυσίππου. Ζεὺς μὲν οὖν φαίνεται ὠνομάσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πᾶσι δεδωκέναι τὸ ζῆν. Δία δὲ αὐτὸν λέγουσιν, ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶν αἴτιος καὶ δι’ αὐτὸν πάντα)
Modern etymology
Zeus is the old Indo-European name of the sky, identical with Latin diēs "day", Juppiter and Vedic dyaus "sky"
Persistence in Modern Greek
The form "Δίας" has replaced the nominative "Ζεύς" in Modern Greek, to denote both the ancient god and the planet. The ancient genitive singular is still used to call ancient monuments, e.g., "Στήλες Ολυμπίου Διός" (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of MG)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The etymology starts from an inflected form of Zeus' name, the Accusative Dia, which is equated with the preposition dia "through". This equation relies on the notion of Zeus as keeper of the destiny which rules the world. Starting from inflected forms is not rare in Greek etymological practice