ἀκίνητος

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Tue, 06/01/2021 - 15:39

Word-form

ὄκνος

Transliteration (Word)

oknos

English translation (word)

shrinking, hesitation

Transliteration (Etymon)

akinētos

English translation (etymon)

motionless

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, omicron, p. 113

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ὄκνος. ὁ ποιῶν ἀκινήτους. τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο, οἷον ἄκινός τις ὢν, καὶ συγκοπῇ ἄκνος καὶ ὄκνος, ὡς ἀκριόεις ὀκριόεις, ἀρχὴ ἄρχαμος ὄρχαμος

Translation (En)

Oknos "hesitation": that which makes people akinētous "motionless". With change of [a] into [o], *akinos as it were, and with syncope, *aknos and oknos, like *akrioeis okrioeis, arkhē *arkhamos orkhamos

Comment

Derivational etymology implying heavy formal manipulations. It provides parallels for the change of [a] into [o], all of which are incorrect by modern standards. From the semantic point of view, the relationship, rather loose, is that of cause (lemma) to consequence (etymon)

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, omicron, p. 424 (Ὄκνος, ὁ ποιῶν ἀκινήτους· τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο); Scholia in Sophoclis Ajacem, 139a (<ὄκνον:> ὄκνος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀκίνητός τις ὢν καὶ ἐν συγκοπῇ ἄκνος καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο, ὄκνος)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has οκνός as an adjective meaning "hesitating" and "slow"

Entry By

Arthur de Tocqueville