λόχος

Validation

No

Word-form

λόγχη

Transliteration (Word)

lonkhē

English translation (word)

spear-head

Transliteration (Etymon)

lokhos

English translation (etymon)

ambush

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 283

Edition

A. Lentz, Grammatici graeci III/2, Leipzig 1870

Source

Epimerismi homerici

Ref.

Epimerismi Homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, epsilon 183

Ed.

A.R. Dyck, Epimerismi Homerici: Pars altera. Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 5.2] Berlin - New York: De Gruyter, 1995: 59-761

Quotation

(Epimerismi) ἔγχος: ὄνομα ῥηματικὸν παρὰ τὸ ἔχω ἔχος καὶ ἔγχος πλεονασμῶ τοῦ γ. ἠρέμα οὖν παρετυμολογεῖ Ὅμηρος παρατιθεὶς τὸ ῥῆμα· ‘ἔγχος ἔχ’ ἑνδεκάπηχυ’ (Ζ 319, Θ 494). πλεονάζει δὲ τὸ γ, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ λόγχη (παρὰ τὸ λόχος λόχη καὶ λόγχη, ἡ εἰς λόχον ἐπιτήδειος) καὶ τῷ γλίχεσθαι (παρὰ τὸ λίαν ἔχεσθαι λίχεσθαι καὶ γλίχεσθαι) καὶ τῷ γλαμᾷς παρὰ Ἀττικοῖς, λημᾷς γάρ·  […] καὶ τὸ ἔλεγχος, <τ>ὸ ἕλην ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχον καὶ λαμπρότητα τοῦ ψεύδους· καὶ τὸ ἀγρός· ἀρῶ γάρ, τὸ ἀροτριῶ, ἄρος <ἀγρός>· καὶ τὸ ὀργή, παρὰ γὰρ τὸ ὄρω ἐστί, τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ ὁρμῶ, ‘†τοῦ δ’ ὤρινέ τε θυμόν†’ (cf. Ξ 459 alibi), ‘ὄρινε δὲ κῆρ Ὀδυσῆος’ (ρ 216), ὀρή καὶ ὀργή.

Translation (En)

Enkhos "spear": noun derived from a verb, from ekhō "to hold", *ekhos and enkhos through adjunction of [g]. Homer etymologizes it simply when he places it next to the verb, ‘ἔγχος ἔχ’ ἑνδεκάπηχυ’ "he was holding a spear eleven cubits long". The [g] is added as in lonkhē "spear-head" (from lokhos "ambush, *lokhē and lonkhē, the one fit for an ambush), and glikhesthai "to adhere strongly" (from lian ekhesthai "to hold very much", *likhesthai and glikhesthai), and the Attic glamais, that is, lēmais "you have rheumy eyes". […] and elenkhos, that which has in itself the warmth and brightness of lie; and agros "field": because from arô "to plough" <comes> *aros <and agros>; and orgē "anger", because from *orō, which means "to excite", ‘†τοῦ δ’ ὤρινέ τε θυμόν†’ "and he excited his heart", "and she excited Ulysses' heart", <come> *orē and orgē.

Comment

Functional etymology: the spear-head is etymologized after one of the functions a weapon can have, to set an ambush. The etymology requires only one formal manipulation, the adjunction of a consonant, for which parallels are given, the etymology itself being quoted as a parallel for ἔγχος derived from ἔχω. The parallelism between ἔγχος and λόγχη is rational in the perspective adopted by Herodian. But the following parallels imply the addition of a voiced velar stop [g], whereas ἔγχος, λόγχη and ἐλεγχος require the insertion of a nasal [n], spelled γ but which is not a velar stop. This reflects the usual confusion between the graphic and phonetic levels in Greek etymological explanations

Parallels

There is no parallel

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes

Entry By

Le Feuvre