θύω2 + αἷμα

Validation

No

Word-form

θυμός

Transliteration (Word)

thumos

English translation (word)

spirit

Transliteration (Etymon)

thuō + haima

English translation (etymon)

to rage

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), theta, p. 614

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818

Quotation

θυμὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ θύειν καὶ ὁρμᾶν τὸ αἷμα

Translation (En)

Thumos "spirit, anger" is from the fact that blood (haimarages (thuein) and moves quickly

Comment

This etymology was designed to account for the [mo] left unexplained in the standard etymology deriving θυμός from θύω. Therefore the word is parsed as a compound, the second element of which is αἷμα "blood". This implies a formal manipulation, a syncope of the diphthong. The etymology was probably intended for the meaning "anger" of θυμός rather than the general meaning "spirit, heart".

Parallels

Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, theta 5 (θυμὸς δὲ ζέσις τοῦ περὶ καρδίαν αἵματος ἀπὸ τοῦ θύειν, τουτέστι μανικῶς ὁρμᾶν); Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 266 (Θυμὸς, παρὰ τὸ θύειν αἷμα, οἷον, θύεμος); ibid., p. 267 (Θυμὸς, παρὰ τὸ θύω τὸ ὁρμῶ, ἡ τοῦ αἵματος κίνησις καὶ ζέσις. ἢ παρὰ τὸ θύεμός τις ὢν, παρὰ τὸ θύω καὶ τὸ αἷμα. τὸ δὲ αἷμα παρὰ τὸ αἴθω τὸ καίω); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 1, 13 Van der Valk (παρῆκται δὲ ὁ μὲν θυμὸς παρὰ τὸ θύειν, ὃ δηλοῖ τὸ ὁρμᾶν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα, οἱονεὶ θύαιμός τις ὤν· κίνησις γὰρ αἵματος ἐν καρδίᾳ ἐστὶν ὁ θυμός); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 458 (Ἀπὸ τοῦ θύειν καὶ ὁρμᾶν τὸ αἷμα ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, θύαιμός τις ὤν); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1. 192 (παρὰ τὸ θύειν καὶ ὁρμᾶν τὸ αἷμα, θυεμὸς καὶ θυμός); Scholia in Lycophronem 8 (θυμῷ παρὰ τὸ θύειν τὸ αἷμα, θύαιμος καὶ θυμός)

Modern etymology

Within Greek, θυμός is derived from θύω "to sacrifice". It is an old word meaning "smoke" (see θυμιάω, θυμέλη) and cognate with Lat. fūmus, Ved. dhūma- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has θυμός to designate "anger". There also are many compound words such as θυμόσοφος 'someone who deals with life having a philosophical stance', θυμοειδής 'vivid, intense'.

Entry By

Le Feuvre