ἀήρ
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
ἀργούς: λευκούς. δύο σημαίνει ἀργός, τὸν νωθρὸν καὶ δυσκίνητον, μᾶλλον δὲ <ἀν>ενέργητον παρὰ τὸ ἀ<ε>ργός τις εἶναι ἢ βοηθείας δεόμενος, παρὰ τὸ ἀρήγω, τὸ βοηθῶ· σημαίνει δὲ καὶ καθαρὸν καὶ λευκόν, ὡς ἐνταῦθα. γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἀήρ ἀέρος ἀργός· διειδὴς γὰρ ὁ ἀὴρ καὶ διαφανὴς καὶ δίοσμος, ἅτε λεπτομερέστερος ὤν
Translation (En)
argous : "white". Argos has two meanings: the slow and hard to move one, or rather the inactive one, from the fact that someone is without work (aergos), or needs help, from arēgō "to aid". It means also "pure and shining", as here, and it comes from aēr, aeros "air", argos. Because air is transparent and limpid and lets smells diffuse, as it is an extremely subtle element
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 187 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 136 (Ἀργός: Ὁ νωθρὸς καὶ δυσκίνητος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀνενέργητος· παρὰ τὸ ἀεργός τις εἶναι· ἢ βοηθείας δεόμενος, παρὰ τὸ ἀρήγω τὸ βοηθῶ. Εἰ δὲ σημαίνει τὸν καθαρὸν καὶ λευκὸν, γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἀὴρ ἀεργὸς, ὁ ἀργός. Διειδὴς γὰρ ὁ ἀὴρ καὶ διαφανὴς καὶ δίοσμος, ἅτε λεπτομερέστατος ὤν); Lexica synonymica, Differentiae verborum (e cod. Paris. suppl. gr. 1238) (Ἀργὸς ὁ λευκὸς καὶ ὁ ταχὺς καὶ ὁ νωθρὸς καὶ δυσκίνητος. καὶ ὁ μὲν λευκὸς ἐτυμολογεῖται παρὰ τὸ ἀὴρ ἀέρος, ἀρὸς καὶ ἀργός· διειδὴς γὰρ καὶ καθαρὸς ὁ ἀήρ. ὁ δὲ νωθρὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀεργός, ὁ μὴ δυνάμενος ἢ ὁ μὴ προθυ<μού>μενος ἐργάζεσθαι. Ἄργος δὲ ὄνομα πόλεως ἐν Πελοπον<ν>ήσῳ)
Comment
The etymology of ἀργός "shining" by ἀήρ "air" relies on the idea that air opposes no resistance to light or to movement (in the other meaning of ἀργός "quick"): as the explanation says, light as well as smells (sounds are not mentioned) go through it (three compounds with δια-). Thus, the quality is etymologized by the medium which makes it perceptible (the element). From the formal point of view, the etymology starts from an inflected form, the genitive ἀέρος, implies a syncope of the e] and the insertion of a consonant, [g]