ζάω
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Ζώνη τὸ ζω μέγα, ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ζώω ζώνη, ὡς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χώω χώνη
Translation (En)
Zōnē "belt", the zō has an omega, because zōnē comes from zōō "to live", as khōnē "funnel" from khōō.
Parallels
Etym. Genuinum, zeta 57 (M.P. Funaioli, Museum criticum XVIII, 1983, 305-312) (Ζώνη. τὸ τοῦ σώματος μέρος. εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ ζῶ. ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα τὸ τοῦ ζώου ἐστὶ δεκτικὸν καὶ τὸ ζωτικόν. ζώνη ὁμωνύμως καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν ὕφασμα, ὡς καὶ θώραξ τὸ μέρος καὶ τὸ περιτιθέμενον ὅπλον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ δεῖν δώνη καὶ ζώνη ἡ περιδεομένη); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, zeta, p. 965 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, zeta, p. 234 (Ζώνη, τὸ τοῦ σώματος μέρος. εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ ζῶ, ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα ἔστι τὸ τοῦ ζῆν δεκτικὸν καὶ τὸ ζωτικὸν, καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὸν ὕφασμα "zōnē, the body part. It takes its name from zô "to live", <as> the place in which is what is most life-receiving and vital. And it means also the piece of cloth which is around it"); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 414 (Ζώνη: Τὸ τοῦ σώματος μέρος· παρὰ τὸ ζῶ· ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα τὸ τοῦ ζῴου ἐστὶ ζωτικόν· καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὸ ὕφασμα ζώνη ὁμωνύμως λέγεται, ὡς καὶ θώραξ τὸ μέρος τοῦ σώματος, καὶ τὸ περιτιθέμενον ὅπλον. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δεῖν, δώνη καὶ ζώνη, ἡ περιδεομένη καὶ δεσμοῦσα ἡμᾶς)
Comment
The etymology is not fully explained in Theognostus, but only mentioned. The full explanation is found in the Gudianum (see Parallels): the ζώνη refers not only to the piece of clothing, but first of all to the body part around which the belt is fitted, the waist, middle part of the body. The area around the waist, the upper and lower abdomen, being where most vital organs are located, this body part is literally the one which concentrates life. No formal manipulation is required. For a modern linguist, the relationship between the two meanings is the reverse one, the primary meaning is "belt" and "waist" is a derived meaning.