ἀρκέω
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Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
Ἀργός Α 50· ὁ ταχύς· ἔστι δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἀρκῶ ἀρκός καὶ ἀργός, ὁ ἐπαρκεῖν τοῖς ποσὶ δυνάμενος, καὶ γὰρ ποδάρκεις τοὺς ταχεῖς λέγουσιν· καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λευκοῦ λαμβάνεται, καὶ γὰρ οἱ ποιηταὶ τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ λευκὰ πάντα οὕτως καλοῦσι· παρὰ τὸ τάχιον τοὺς ὁρῶντας † ὁρᾶσθαι ποιεῖν. (NB: the scholion to Oppian, Hal. 1.23 has παρὰ τὸ τάχιον τοὺς ὁρῶντας ὁρέγεσθαι ποιεῖν, which is better)
Translation (En)
Argos "quick": it comes from arkô "to defend", *arkos and argos, the one able to defend <others> thanks to his feet, and as a matter of fact the fast ones are called podarkeis; and by extension it is also used for shining things, because poets call that way every shining and white object, from the fact that it makes those who see them desire them faster [for the end, I translate the text of the scholion to Oppian, Hal. 1.23]
Parallels
Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 135 (idem); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 357 (ἀργοὺς δὲ κῦνας (Α 50) οἷον ἀρκούς, τοὺς ἐπαρκοῦντας); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1, 37c (ἀργυρότοξε: —ἐκ τοῦ ἀργόν ὀνόματος, σημαίνει δὲ τὸ καθαρόν·— γέγονε δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἀργός, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ λαμπρόν· ὁ λαμπρὸν τόξον ἔχων ἢ λευκόν· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἀγλαός· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ αἴγλη, αἴγλον καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ι ἄγλον καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ λ εἰς ρ ἀργόν. ὅταν δὲ σημαίνῃ τὸν ταχύν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρκῶ ἀρκός καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ κ εἰς γ ἀργός. ὁ γὰρ ταχὺς ἐπαρκεῖ ἐν τῷ νικᾷν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 188 (τὸ δὲ ἀργός σημαίνει τὸν λευκόν· [τοῦτ’ ἔστι παρὰ τὸ ἀγλαός] τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ αἴγλη αἰγλός, ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ι καὶ μεταθέσει ἀλγός καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ λ <εἰς ρ> ἀργός. ὅτε δὲ σημαίνει τὸν ταχύν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρκῶ ἀρκός καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ κ εἰς γ ἀργός· ὁ γὰρ ταχὺς ἐπαρκεῖ ἐν τῷ νικᾶν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 287 (Ἀργός. λευκὸς καὶ ὁ ῥάθυμος. κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν καὶ ὁ ταχύς. παρὰ τὸ ἀρκῶ ἀρκὸς καὶ ἀργὸς, ὁ ἐπαρκεῖν τοῖς ποσὶ δυνάμενος); Scholia in Sophoclem, Aj. 237a (recentiora) (ἀργὸς ὁ σύντομος. ἢ κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρκῶ ἀρκὸς καὶ ἀργός, ὁ δυνάμενος ἐπαρκεῖν αὑτῷ. χρῶνται δὲ τούτῳ οἱ ποιηταὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λευκοῦ παρὰ τὸ τάχιον τοὺς ὁρῶντας ὁρᾶσθαι ποιεῖν. γίνεται δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἀγλαὸν καὶ ἐν συγκοπῇ τοῦ α καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ λ ἀλγὸν καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ἀμεταβόλου εἰς ἀμετάβολον ἀργόν)
Comment
The etymology was designed for the meaning "quick, fast", and relies on a minimal formal manipulation, the change of voiceless [k] into voiced [g]. The semantic relationship between "quick, fast" and "to defend" is found in the existence of the compound ποδαρκής understood as the one who can rush to defend his comrades or run to protect himself. Comparison with the compound ἀργίπους "of the fast feet" led to the one being taken as the etymon of the other. The meaning "shining" is assumed to be an extended use, that is, to have the same etymology.