μή + τηρέω
Word
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Word-form
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
Μήτηρ. παρὰ τοῦ μὴ τηρεῖσθαι· αἱ γὰρ γυναῖκες πρὶν λυμανθῆναι τὴν ἑαυτῶν παρθενίαν τηροῦνται, ἡνίκα δὲ γίνωνται μητέρες, οὐ τηροῦνται
Translation (En)
Mētēr "mother": from "not (mē) to guard oneself" (tēreisthai). Because women guard themselves before their maidenhood is defiled, but when they become mothers, they do not guard themselves.
Parallels
Etym. Parvum 60 (Μήτηρ· παρὰ τὸ μὴ τηρεῖσθαι· αἱ γὰρ γυναῖκες πρὶν γένωνται μητέρες φυλάττονται πρὸς τὸ μὴ μολυνθῆναι τὴν παρθενίαν αὐτῶν· ἡνίκα δὲ γένωνται μητέρες οὐ τηροῦνται); Etym. Gudianum, mu, p. 393 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 584 (Μήτηρ: Παρὰ τὸ μὴ τηρεῖσθαι· αἱ γὰρ γυναῖκες, πρὶν γένωνται μητέρες, φυλάττονται πρὸς τὸ μὴ λυμανθῆναι τὴν αὑτῶν παρθενίαν· ἡνίκα δὲ γένωνται μητέρες, οὐ τηροῦνται. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ μῶ, τὸ ζητῶ, ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν τέκνων ζητουμένη· ἢ ἡ μαστεύουσα τὰ πρὸς τροφὴν τοῖς κυηθεῖσιν· ἢ ὅτι φυσικῶς αὐτὰ μαστεύει τὰ κυηθέντα ἡ μήτηρ. Ἢ ἐκ τοῦ ματῶ, μάτηρ καὶ μήτηρ, ὡς μάτις μῆτις, ἡ τῶν ἀδήλων ζητητική. Τὸ ΜΗ, η· ἐκ τοῦ μήσω μέλλοντος.)
Comment
The word is parsed as a negative compound with the prohibitive negation μή (see also μῖσος / μή + ἴσος, μήνη / μή + μένω). The definition is negative: it is not entirely clear whether τηρέομαι is a middle "to guard oneself" or a passive "to be kept under close guard". The "mother" is defined as "not a virgin", because the initial syllable oriented toward an etymology with the negation, and then a word compatible with the notion of "virgin" and formally similar to -τηρ was used to account for the second syllable: virgin girls must be kept under close watch in many cultures, hence τηρέω