ἅλς + μύρω

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Sat, 08/21/2021 - 08:08

Word-form

ἁλιμυρέος

Transliteration (Word)

halimurēs

English translation (word)

sea-washed

Transliteration (Etymon)

hals + murō

English translation (etymon)

sea + to flow

Author

Scholia in Apollonium Rhodium

Source

Idem

Ref.

Scholia in Apollonii Rhodii Argonautica (scholia vetera), p. 77

Ed.

K. Wendel, Scholia in Apollonium Rhodium vetera, Berlin: Weidmann, 1935 (repr. 1974)

Quotation

(Arg. 1.913) ἁλιμυρέος: τῆς ὑπὸ θαλάσσης περιρρεομένης. ‘ἁλιμυρήεντες’ δὲ ‘ποταμοί’ (Φ 190) οἱ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν βάλλοντες 

Translation (En)

halimureos: which is "surrounded" (perirreomenēs) by the "sea" (thalassēs). But the halimurēentes potamoi (Il. 21.190) are the one who run into the sea

Comment

The explanation amounts to a translation of the two etymons, with θάλασσα given as an equivalent for ἅλς and περιρρέομαι for μύρω "to flow". None of which is explicitly given, but the translation shows what the etymological analysis was. The form has a passive meaning "beaten by the sea", as opposed to the active meaning n the Homeric ἁλιμυρήεις, which has the same etymology

Parallels

ibid., p. 174, ad Arg. 2.554 (ἁλιμυρέες ἀκταί: αἱ ὑπὸ θαλάσσης περιρρεόμεναι ἢ περιρραινόμεναι); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 2.258 (ἁλιμυρέος· διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης ἠχούσης, ἐν τῇ ἁλὶ ἠχούσης, ἢ ἐν τῇ ἁλὶ πλημμυρούσης, ἁλμυρᾶς καὶ ἠχητικῆς, τῆς ὑπὸ θαλάσσης βρεχομένης· ἀπὸ τοῦ ἃλς καὶ τοῦ ῥέω ἃλς ἁλὸς ἅλμη ἁλιμυρέος, τῆς ἐν ἁλὶ οὔσης καὶ ἠχούσης, ἁλμυρῆς, τῆς ἐν τῇ ἁλὶ οὔσης, περὶ ἣν μύρεται, ἤως μορμύρει, Ὅμηρος (Od. ε, 460) δέ· «ποταμὸν ἁλιμυρήεντα» λέγει)

Modern etymology

Artificial compound derived from the Homeric form with the passive value of compounds in -ής. The etymology assumed by the scholiast is correct

Persistence in Modern Greek

Interestingly in Modern Greek there is "αρμυρίκι", originating from "αλμυρίκι", to designate any plant which is 'washed by the sea'. Contemporary Greek linguists believe that there may be a calque from "μυρίκη", 'tamarisk'.

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