ἀγλαός

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Sun, 07/04/2021 - 17:45

Word-form

ἀργός

Transliteration (Word)

argos

English translation (word)

shining, quick

Transliteration (Etymon)

aglaos

English translation (etymon)

splendid

Author

Epimerismi homerici

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Epimerismi homerici Il. 1, 37c

Ed.

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

Quotation

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

Translation (En)

Argurotoxe ("of the silver bow"): the adjective comes from argos, and it means 'pure'. It comes from argos ("shining"), which means 'shining' (lampron), the one having a shining or white bow. And this word comes from aglaos ("splendid"). The latter comes from aiglē ("brightness"), *aiglon and through change of the [l] into [r], argon. But when it means 'quick, fast', it comes from arkô ("to defend"), *arkos and through change of the [k] into [g] argos, because he who runs fast can protect and ensure victory

Comment

Complementary etymology separating the two meanings of ἀργός, "quick" and "shining", and providing a different etymon for each. The etymology for "shining" derived it from ἀγλαός, but in fact the derivation is rather from αἴγλη, itself given as the etymon of ἀγλαός. The derivation from ἀγλαός is given in other sources, however (see Parallels). That etymology implies a number of formal manipulations, not all described in the Epimerismi: change of [l] into [r], metathesis, and dropping of the medial [a]. From the semantic point of view, it is straightforward, an adjective meaning "shining" is derived from an adjective meaning "splendid", both referring to light

Parallels

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); Geneva scholion Il. 1.37ter (ἀργυρότοξε] παρὰ τὸ ἀργός, ὃ <σημ>αίνει τὸ λευκός, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ <ἀγ>λαός, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ἀμετα<βόλου> εἰς ἀμετάβολον καὶ ἐν ὑπερβιβασμῷ ἀργός); 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); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 1.23 (Ἀργυρέοι· λευκοὶ, καθαροὶ παρὰ τὸ ἀργὸν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ λαμπρὸν καὶ λευκόν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ποιηταὶ τὰ λευκὰ πάντα οὕτω καλοῦσι παρὰ τὸ τάχιον τοὺς ὁρῶντας ὀρέγεσθαι ποιεῖν, τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἀγλαὸν καὶ μεταθέσει ἀλγόν καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ἀμεταβόλου εἰς ἀμετάβολον ἀργόν)

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

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