ζάω + μειόω

Validation

No

Word-form

ζημία

Transliteration (Word)

zēmia

English translation (word)

damage, penalty

Transliteration (Etymon)

zaō + meioō

English translation (etymon)

to live + to lessen

Author

Suda

Century

10 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Suda, alpha 592

Ed.

A. Adler, Suidae Lexicon, Leipzig: Teubner, 1928-1935

Quotation

Ἀζήμιος: ἀβλαβής. κυρίως δὲ ζημία ἡ τῆς ζωῆς μείωσις, ἢ τὸ ἐν ζωῇ μιαρόν

Translation (En)

Azēmios "unpunished": unharmed. Because zēmia "penalty" means properly the lessening (meiōsis) of life (zōēs), or that which in life is stained

Comment

The word is parsed as a compound, and is clearly meant first as an etymology for ζημιόω "to punish, to inflict a penalty": in an ioticizing state of the language, μειόω [mio:] is formally identical with -μιόω which is the end of ζημιόω, so that it provides easily the second element. Then ζημία is derived from ζημιόω. From the semantic point of view, it seems to refer to the death penalty, which is a "lessening of life", meaning in fact "privation of life" (see Scholia in Euripidem, Or. 578: ζημιοῦν τινὰ λέγεται ὁ θανάτῳ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ ἀφελόμενος). However, the Gudianum, Magnum and Ps.-Zonaras understand "life" as "wealth" (περιουσία), and in that case the etymology is suitable for the meaning "fine".

Parallels

Scholia in Aristophanem, Plut. 272a (idem); Etym. Gudianum, zeta, p. 231 (Ζημία, ἡ τὰ πρὸς ζῆν μειοῦσα, τὸ ζη ἦθα); ibid., p. 231 (Ζημία, ἡ τοῦ κέρδους καὶ ὠφελείας μείωσις, ἡ τῶν ὄντων πρὸς τὸ ζῆν μείωσις. τούτους μεγίστην ζημίαν ὀφλισκάνειν Εὐριπίδης. παρὰ τὴν ζέσιν τὴν γινομένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐκτείνειν τὰ ἐπαγόμενα, ἢ δημία τὶς οὖσα, ἡ πολιτική. ἡ τὴν ζωὴν μειοῦσα, τουτ’- ἔστι τὴν περιουσίαν. καὶ γὰρ ὁ ποιητὴς ζημίαν τὴν περιουσίαν λέγει. ἡ δὲ κατὰ ζωὴν φαγέειν μενοηκέα πόλλα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 411 (Ζημία: Ἡ τῶν ὄντων πρὸς τὸ ζῆν μείωσις, ἡ τοῦ κέρδους καὶ τῆς ὠφελείας ἄτη, ἡ τὰ πρὸς τὸ ζῆν μειοῦσα, ἡ τὴν ζωὴν μειοῦσα, τουτέστι τὴν περιουσίαν· παρὰ τὴν ζέσιν τὴν γινομένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐκτίνειν τὰ ἐπαγόμενα. Ἢ δημία τὶς οὖσα, ἡ πολιτική); Eustathius, Comm. Od.  2, 194 Stallbaum (δήμιος […] ὁ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἄρτι τῇ τοῦ ζῆν μειώσει παρωνομάζεσθαι δοκεῖ, ὡς οἷον ζήμιός τις ὢν διὰ τὸ τιμωρεῖν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 56 (Ἀζημίως. ἀβλαβῶς. κυρίως δὲ ζημία ἡ τῆς ζωῆς μείωσις); ibid., zeta, p. 957 (Ζημία. ἡ τὴν ζωὴν μειοῦσα, τουτέστι τὴν περιουσίαν. ζωὴ γὰρ ἡ περιουσία. ἢ ἡ τῶν ὄντων πρὸς τὸ ζῇν μείωσις. ἢ παρὰ τὴν ζέσιν τὴν γινομένην ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐκκτείνειν τὰ ἐπαγόμενα. ἢ ζημία στέρησις τῶν ὄντων); Scholia in Euripidem, Or. 578 (ἐζημίωσε: ἁρμοδίως καὶ οἰκείως ἡ λέξις ἐνταῦθα κεῖται· εἰ γὰρ ἡ ζημία ζωῆς ἐστι μείωσις καὶ ἐλάττωσις, εἰκότως ζημιοῦν τινὰ λέγεται ὁ θανάτῳ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ ἀφελόμενος); Scholia in Aristophanem, Plut. 272a (scholia recentiora Tzetzae) (ζημία· ζωῆς μείωσις ἢ διὰ τιμωριῶν ἢ ἀφαιρέσεως χρημάτων)

Modern etymology

Unclear (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Ζημία and its contracted form ζημιά are used in Modern Greek to designate: 1. the total or partial destruction of a thing/wealth by accident, 2. any kind of damage, e.g., moral.

Entry By

Le Feuvre