ἄνω + τάξις

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Fri, 06/25/2021 - 12:20

Word-form

ἄναξ

Transliteration (Word)

ana

English translation (word)

lord, master

Transliteration (Etymon)

anō + taxis

English translation (etymon)

upward + position

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), alpha, p. 611

Ed.

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

Quotation

ἄναξ, ὁ τὴν ἄνω τάξιν ἔχων· ἀνατάναξ· καὶ ἐν συνκοπῇ ἄναξ

Translation (En)

Anax "lord": he who has the upper (anō) position (taxin), *anatanax, and through syncope anax

Comment

The word is parsed as a compound of ἄνω, which is common to most etymologies of ἄναξ, and τάξις. The lord is the one who holds the upper position. This etymology implies a number of formal manipulations in which the copyist seems to have been lost himself, as the monster *ἀναταναξ shows.

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 777 (Ἄναξ· παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἄνω τάξιν ἔχειν ἢ ὁ ἄνω ἀΐσσων ἢ πρὸς ὃν πάντα ἀναφέρομεν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p.  97 (idem); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 20 (idem); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.7b (ἄναξ: ἐκ τοῦ ἄνακος κατὰ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ τ ἄνακτος. | ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἄνω τάξιν ἔχειν, ἢ ἐφ’ ὃν πάντα ἀναφέρομεν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀνάσσω, | ἢ ὁ ἄνω ἀΐσσων); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 191 (ἄναξ (Γ 267): παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἄνω τάξιν ἔχειν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀναΐσσω, <ὁ> ἀναΐσσων κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ κρατεῖν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 132 (Ἄναξ <Γ 267>· παρὰ τὸ <τὴν> ἄνω τάξιν ἔχειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀναΐσσω, <ὁ> ἀναΐσσων κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ κρατεῖν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 132 (Ἄναξ· ὁ τὴν⟧ ἄνω τά⟦ξιν ἔχων καὶ⟧ ἄγων· ⟦παρὰ τὴν ἀνά⟧ πρόθεσιν ⟦καὶ τὸν⟧ ἄξω μέλλοντα); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 167 (Ἄνακτες. οἱ θεοὶ καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς. ἄναξ δὲ εἴρηται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄνω τάξιν ἔχειν. ἢ ὁ ἄνω ἀΐσσων. ἢ πρὸς ὃν πάντα ἀναφέρομεν); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1.7 (ἄναξ· βασιλεύς, ἤτοι ὁ τὴν ἄνω τάξιν ἔχων καὶ πρώτην)

Modern etymology

Older ϝάναξ, attested in Mycenaean wa-na-ka, cognate with Phryg. vanaktei (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Αναξ is a learned word in MG

Entry By

Le Feuvre