ζημιόω

Validation

No

Word-form

δήμιος

Transliteration (Word)

dēmios

English translation (word)

public executioner

Transliteration (Etymon)

zēmioō

English translation (etymon)

to punish, to fine

Author

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Century

12 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Comm. Il. 1, 235

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, Leiden, 1971-1987

Quotation

ὄζω ὀδμή, ζήμιος δήμιος, ὁ ζημιῶν τοὺς κολαζομένους, κλύζω κλύδων

Translation (En)

ozō "to smell", odmē "smell", *zēmios dēmios "public executioner", he who punishes (zēmiôn) convicted people, kluzō "to wash", kludōn "wave"

Comment

Eustathius mentions this etymology in a series of pairs exemplifying the possible change of [z] into [d]. Whereas ὄζω, ὀδμή, κλύζω, κλύδων are real pairs of related words, in the case of δήμιος the pair is erroneous, as there is no *ζήμιος, which exists only as an intermediate step between ζημιόω and δήμιος. But that shows that Eustathius gives as much credit to this etymology as he does to real cases where an interchange between [d] and [z] can be observed. The fact that the etymology is mentioned in passing implies that it is supposed to be a well-known etymology. Eustathius gives elsewhere the correct explanation of the word, but not as its etymology (Comm. Od. 1, 295 Stallbaum: Δήμιοι δὲ οἱ μὲν μεθ’ Ὅμηρον κολασταὶ σωμάτων. οἱ δὲ παλαιοὶ, ἐκλογὴ δήμου ἦσαν ἐπαινετέα καὶ ἔνδοξος. ἢ γοῦν, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἄτιμος). From the semantic point of view, it makes sense to derive the name of the public executioner from the verb "to castigate, to chastise", as a functional etymology. The etymology is in fact reversible: δήμιος (the adjective, not the noun) "public" is given in other sources as the etymon of ζημία (see ζημία / δήμιος).

Parallels

Eustathius, Comm. Od.  2, 194 Stallbaum (Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι δημιουργοὶ οὐ μόνον οἱ ῥηθέντες ἐλέγοντο, ἀλλ’ ὕστερον καὶ οἱ τὰ πέμματα καὶ τὰς πλακοῦντας ποιοῦντες, καὶ δηλοῖ αὐτὸ Ἀθήναιος ἐν τῷ, προὐνοοῦντο πεμμάτων αἱ δημιουργοὶ γυναῖκες, καὶ ἐν τῷ, καὶ δημιουργοὶ μέλιτος αἰτεῦσαι σκάφας. ἦν δὲ οὐδὲ παρὰ τοῖς πάλαι δήμιος ὁ αὐτὸς τοῖς ὕστερον. ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ τῷ δήμῳ χρηστὸς, ὁ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἄρτι τῇ τοῦ ζῆν μειώσει παρωνομάζεσθαι δοκεῖ, ὡς οἷον ζήμιός τις ὢν διὰ τὸ τιμωρεῖν)

Modern etymology

Δήμιος "public" is derived from δῆμος "people", and as a substantive, for δἠμιος (δοῦλος), it refers to the slave in charge of executions

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has δήμιος, 1. used literally to denote the "public executioner" and 2. metaphorically to designate anyone who mistreats and abuses others.

Entry By

Le Feuvre