ἀεί + ἴσος

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Thu, 06/24/2021 - 22:35

Word-form

αἶσα

Transliteration (Word)

aisa

English translation (word)

destiny, share

Transliteration (Etymon)

isos

English translation (etymon)

equal

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 8

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820

Quotation

Αἶσα, ἡ ἀεὶ οὖσα ἴση, καὶ μὴ μεταβαλλομένη

Translation (En)

Aisa "destiny", the one which is ever (aei) equal (isē) and which does not change

Comment

Compositional etymology which seems to have been designed to improve Aristotle's etymology ἀεί οὖσαν, as ἀεί ἴση is phonetically better and implies less heavy formal manipulations. Destiny is not only the eternal one, but the always equal. Some sources (see Parallels) explain it is because it is the same for all human beings (equal for all). Orion explains it by the fact it does not change (equal in time)

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 241 (Αἶσα (Α 416)· ἡ εἱμαρμένη, ἡ μοῖρα· ἐπεί νύ τοι αἶσα μίνυνθά περ, οὔτι μάλα δήν. παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ μερίζω, ὁ μέλλων δαίσω, γίνεται δαῖσα, ὡς βήσω βῆσα καὶ πείσω πεῖσα (υ 23), ἡ πεισμονή, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ δ αἶσα ἡ ἑκάστῳ μεμερισμένη. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀεὶ ἴση εἶναι ἡ μὴ μεταβαλλομένη· πᾶσι γὰρ ἴσως ἔπεισιν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 54 (Αἶσα· ἡ μοῖρα καὶ εἱμαρμένη. παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ μερίζω, δαίσω δαῖσα, ὡς βήσω βῆσα καὶ <βῆσσα καὶ> πείσω πεῖσα, ἡ πεισμονή· καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ δ αἶσα, ἡ ἑκάστῳ μεμερισμένη. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀεὶ ἴση· πᾶσι γὰρ ἴσως ἔπεισιν); ibid., p. 54 (Αἶσαν· μοῖραν, τύχην· παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἴσην εἶναι καὶ μὴ μεταβάλλεσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ μερίζω); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 54 (Αἶσα· ἡ ἀεὶ ἴση); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 38 (Αἶσα: Ἡ εἱμαρμένη, ἡ μοῖρα. Παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ μερίζω, ὁ μέλλων δαίσω, γίνεται δαῖσα, ὡς βήσω βῆσα, καὶ πείσω πεῖσα, ἡ πεισμονή· καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ δ, αἶσα, ἡ ἑκάστῳ μεμερισμένη. ‘Ἐπεί νύ τοι αἶσα μίνυνθά περ’. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀεὶ ἴση εἶναι, ἡ μὴ μεταβαλλομένη. Πᾶσι γὰρ ἴσως ἔπεισιν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 82 (corrupt παρὰ τὸ ἀεὶ ἴσημι. ἡ μεταβαλλομένη· πᾶσι γὰρ ὁμοίως ἔπεισιν)

The etymology is not fully explicit in a bT Schol. Il. 21.214b (αἴσυλα: ἐστερημένα αἴσης, ὅ ἐστι τῆς ἰσότητος), but the explanation implies the etymology ἀεί ἴση

Modern etymology

Within Greek, αἶσα belongs with αἴνυμαι "to take", αἰτία "cause", ἔξαιτος "chosen", αἰτέω "to ask", but the relationship is no longer perceived by speakers. PIE *h2ei- "to take" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Adjective "αίσιος", 'propitious, favorable' and nouns such as "αισιοδοξία", 'positivism' are used in Modern Greek.

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