ἀργός2

Validation

No

Word-form

ἀργός

Transliteration (Word)

argos

English translation (word)

shining, quick

Transliteration (Etymon)

argos

English translation (etymon)

idle, lazy

Author

Epimerismi homerici

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Epimerismi homerici Il. 1, 50d1

Ed.

A. Dyck, Epimerismi homerici, pars prior epimerismos continens qui ad Iliadis librum A pertinent, Berlin 1983

Quotation

ἀργούς: τρία σημαίνει ἡ λέξις, (1) τόν τε ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἀργὸν λεγόμενον καὶ (2) κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν {καὶ} τὸν ταχὺν καὶ (3) τὸν λευκόν

Translation (En)

argous: the word has three meanings: the idle one, as in usual speech, and, through antiphrasis, the quick one, and the white one

Comment

This definition which does not bear specifically on etymology considered that "quick" arose from "idle, lazy" through antiphrasis. This is equivalent to saying that ἀργός2 "idle" is the etymon of ἀργός1 "quick", although the lexicographer does not understand it that way because for him it is one and the same word. The Pseudo-Zonaras repeats the same explanation but adds an etymon which has nothing to do and is the usual etymon for "quick" (see ἀργός1 / ἀρκέω), coming from another source: the compiler does not seem to have notice that there was a contradiction between the two.

Parallels

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)

Modern etymology

Old adjective from PIE root *h2erg- "to shine", matching Ved. r̥jrá- "quick", Av. ǝrǝzra- "quick", related to ἀργυρός "silver", ἀργής "shining", ἄργιλος "clay", Lat. argentum "silver" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre