ἐθέλω
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
φύξηλις ἐστὶν ὁ φεύγων τὰς ἴλας, δειλὸς δὲ ὁ δεδιὼς τὰς ἴλας, μενεδήιος δὲ ὁ ὑπομένων τὴν δηιοτῆτα, ἐσθλὸς δὲ ὁ ἐθελοντὴς μαχόμενος, οἱονεὶ ἐθελός. ὁ δὲ ἐναντίος οὐκ ἐθέλεσκε μάχην ἀπὸ τείχεος ὀρνύμεν Ἕκτωρ (Ι 353), ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐχ ὑπέμεινεν ἄποθεν τῶν τειχῶν μάχεσθαι
Translation (En)
Phuxēlis "runaway" is the one who flees (pheugōn) before the troops (ilas), deilos "cowardly" the one who fears (dediōs) the troops (ilas), menedēios the one who awaits firmly the battle, esthlos "good" the one who fights willingly (ethelontēs), as though it were *ethelos
Parallels
Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.108a (ἐσθλόν: παρὰ τὸ ἐθέλω, ἐθελόν, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ ἐσθλόν καὶ κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ ε· τὸ γὰρ ἀγαθὸν πᾶς λογικὸς θέλει); ibid., 108b (παρὰ τὸ ἐθέλον τι εἶναι, ὅπερ θέλει ἕκαστος, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ); Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 536 (idem); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.576a1 (ἐσθ<λ>ῆς: παρὰ τὸ ἐθέλω γέγονεν, οἷον ἐθελόν τι ὄν, ὃ θέλει τις. τὸ γὰρ ἀγαθὸν πάντες θέλομεν); ibid., 576a2 (ἐσθλῆς: ἐσθλόν γέγονεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐθέλω, ἐθελόν καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν τοῦ ε καὶ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ σ, ἐσθλόν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 80 (Ἄλαστα· τὰ κακά· ἀνεπίληστά τινα ὄντα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ λάζεσθαι, ὅ ἐστι [τὸ] λαβεῖν· ἃ οὐκ ἄν τις λάβοι, φευκτά. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ἐναντίου εἴρηται ἐσθλόν, ἐθέλον τ⸤ι ὄν, ὃ θέλει⸥ τις ⸤ἔχειν⸥); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 383 (Ἐσθλόν: Τὸ ἀγαθόν· ἐθέλον τὶ ὄν. Παρὰ τὸ ἐθέλω, ἐθλόν· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ, ἐσθλόν); Etym. Symeonis, epsilon 831 (Ἐσθλόν· παρὰ τὸ ἐθέλω, ἐθλόν· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ ἐσθλόν); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1.108.55 (ἐσθλόν· ἐθέλω· ἐθέλον καὶ ἐσθλὸν Αἰολικῶς καὶ Δωρικῶς. πῇ μὲν γὰρ ἀφαιροῦσιν οἱ ποιηταὶ τὸ σ, πῇ δὲ προστιθέασιν. ἕσπετε λέγοντες ἀντὶ τοῦ ἕπετε, ἢ εἴπατε); J. Pediasimus, Scholia in Hesiodi Scutum, p. 611 (Ἐσθλὸς ὁ ἀγαθὸς, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐθέλω· πάντες γὰρ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐθέλομεν, καὶ τούτου ἐφιέμεθα); Scholia in Batrachomyomachia 16 (ἐσθλά] καὶ καλά. V. καὶ ἀγαθά. DMV. —ἐσθλά: ἐσθλὸν τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐθέλω· πάντες γὰρ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐθέλομεν καὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐφιέμεθα, ὅτι οὐ μόνον πολλὰ ὀφείλουσιν εἶναι τὰ χρήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσθλά· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἀγαπητά. M. ἐσθλὸν τὸ ἀγαθόν. καὶ γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐθέλω ἐθελόν ὄνομα ῥηματικὸν καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν τοῦ ε ἐθλόν καὶ προσλήψει τοῦ σ ἐσθλόν· πάντες γὰρ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐθέλομεν καὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐφιέμεθα); Scholia in Euripides Hippolytum 411d (ἐσθλός γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐθέλω, ἐθελός καὶ ἐσθλός); Scholia in Hesiodum, Op., schol. 212ter (Ἐθέλω, ἐθελὸς, καὶ ἐσθλός [Tzetzes])
Comment
Derivational etymology relying on the meaning "brave", frequent in the context of the Iliad. In Porphyry's explanation, there is no direct relationship between "good" and "willing", but between "brave" and "fighting": in the etymon, one word corresponds formally to the lemma (ἐθελόντης) and the other one corresponds semantically (μάχεσθαι) but is not retained as the etymon technically speaking. The etymology implies formal manipulations, a syncope and the insertion of an [s]. However, in other sources the same etymology is provided for the general meaning "good", as "what everybody wants" (see Parallels)