ὄλισθος

Word

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

λοῖσθος

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

loisthos

English translation (word)

left behind

Transliteration (Etymon)

olisthos

English translation (etymon)

slipperiness

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, lambda 140

Ed.

K. Alpers, Bericht über Stand und Methode der Ausgabe des Etymologicum genuinum [Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Hist.-filol. Meddelelser 44.3. Copenhagen: Munksgaard, 1969]

Quotation

Λοῖσθος καὶ λοίσθιον· οἱ μὲν παρὰ τὸ ὄλισθος καθ’ὑπερβιβασμὸν τοῦ Λ λοῖσθος καὶ λοίσθιος· † ὅτε γλώσσῃ πλεῖστος ὄλισθος ἔνι †, ὁ ἔσχατος οἷον ὁ ἐξολισθήσας καὶ ἐμποδισθείς. ...

Translation (En)

Loisthos ("left behind") and loisthion: for some, loisthos and loisthios come from olisthos ("slipperiness") through inversion of [l]. When someone is in some slippery place, he is the last, because he has slipped and has been hindered.

Comment

Derivational etymology implying a metathesis. The etymon is the cause of the lemma: the last position is the result of the move.

Parallels

Eustathius, Comm. Il. van der Valk, vol. 1, p. 74 (οὕτω τις τῶν ἐπιτρίπτων κολάκων τὸ Ἀρσινόη «Ἥρας ἴον» ἀνεγραμμάτιζεν αἰκάλλων θωπευτικῶς τὴν βασίλισσαν Ἀρσινόην, ὡς πρέπουσαν εἶναι Ἥρας ὀσφράδιον. τοῦ δὲ αὐτοῦ τύπου καὶ τὸ λιαρός ἱλαρός· ἤδη δέ που καὶ τὸ λόχος ὄχλος καὶ τὸ ὀλίγος λοιγὸς καὶ τὸ ὄλισθος λοῖσθος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 568 (Λοῖσθος: Ὁ ἔσχατος. Παρὰ τὸ ὄλισθος, καθ’ ὑπέρθεσιν τοῦ λ, λοῖσθος καὶ λοίσθιος, οἷον ὁ ἐξολισθήσας καὶ ἐμποδισθείς. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ λείπω, λόστος καὶ λοῖσθος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ λάσθη, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν λοιδορίαν, λαῖσθος καὶ λοῖσθος· ὁ γὰρ ἔσχατος ὕβρισται); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, lambda, p. 1316 (Λοίσθιος. ὁ ἔσχατος. καὶ λοῖσθος καὶ λοίσθιον. οἱ μὲν παρὰ τὸ ὄλισθος καθ’ ὑπερβιβασμὸν τοῦ λ, λοῖσθος, λοίσθιος, οἷον ἐξολισθήσας καὶ ἐμποδισθείς. ἢ παρὰ τὴν λαίστην, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν λοιδορίαν καὶ αἰσχύνην, λαῖσθος καὶ λοῖσθος. οἷον· λοῖσθος ἀνὴρ ὤριστος ἔχει μώνυχας ἵππους); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 3.109 (Λοίσθιον· ἔσχατον, τὸν θάνατον· παρὰ τὸ ὄλισθος καθ’ ὑπερβιβασμὸν τοῦ λ λοῖσθος καὶ λοίσθιος, οἷον ἐξολισθήσας καὶ ἐμποδισθείς· ἢ παρὰ τὸ λείπω λοῖστος καὶ λοῖσθος καὶ λοίσθιος.); Scholia in Sophoclem, Aj. 468.1 (<λοίσθιον:> λοίσθιος, λοῖσθος ὁ ἔσχατος. οἱ μὲν παρὰ τὸ ὄλισθος καθ’ὑπερβιβασμὸν τοῦ λ λοίσθιος, οἷον ἐξολισθήσας καὶ ἐμποδισθείς).

Bibliography

B. Forssman, "λοῖσθος: der "Letzte" bei Wettrennen", Glotta 96, p. 75-81, argues for the relationship between λοῖσθος and ὀλισθάνω, assuming the Saussure effect (loss of the initial laryngeal in an o-grade form, *h3lisdh- / (h3)loisdh-), assuming the last one is the one who fell because he slipped. The formal aspect is faultless, the semantic aspect is much more disputable.

Modern etymology

Unclear. See the various attempts in Beekes, EDG. The etymology by ὀλισθάνω was defended by Forssman 2020

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has the derivative λοίσθια as a learned word in the phrase πνέει τα λοίσθια "to breathe one's last breath", but no longer the adjective itself

Entry By

Arthur de Tocqueville
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