ἦθος

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

ἠθείους

Transliteration (Word)

ētheios

English translation (word)

trusty, honoured

Transliteration (Etymon)

ēthos

English translation (etymon)

custom

Author

Aristophanes Gram.

Century

3-2 BC

Reference

fr. 14

Edition

A. Nauck, Aristophanis Byzantii grammatici Alexandrini fragmenta, 2nd edn., Halle: Lippert & Schmid, 1848 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1963)

Source

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Ref.

Commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem 2, 380

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, Leiden, 1971-1987

Quotation

(Eustathius) Ἐν δὲ τοῖς τοῦ γραμματικοῦ Ἀριστοφάνους κεῖται καί, ὅτι ἠθείους τοὺς ὁμοτρόπους φαμὲν τῷ τὰ αὐτὰ ἤθη ἔχειν καὶ ἐν ὁμοίοις ἤθεσι καταγεγονέναι. Παρ’ ἐνίοις γάρ, φησί, τὰ ἔθη ἤθη λέγεται.

Translation (En)

But one finds in the works of the grammarian Aristophanes (of Byzantium) that we call ētheious "honoured" those who have the same character (ēthē as we do because they have the same customs and have been raised in similar habits. And he says that some people call ethē "habits" ēthē "customs"

Comment

Derivational etymology which is correct by modern standards. Ἠθεῖος is mainly used for close friends or relatives, that is, for people we are familiar with, "customary". The semantic explanation by "who have the same customs" is  slightly different.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, eta, p. 68 (Ἠθεῖε. παρὰ τὸ ἔθος ἐθεῖος, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ε εἰς η, ἠθεῖος· ἢ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ η, θεῖος ἠθεῖος); Choeroboscus, De orthographia (epitome), p. 216 (Ἠθεῖος: Διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ θεὸς γέγονεν θέϊος, καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν τοῦ ε καὶ ι εἰς τὴν ει δίφθογγον θεῖος, καὶ κατὰ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ η ἠδεῖος· ὥσπερ βαιὸν, ἠβαιόν· γέγονεν δὲ πάλιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔθος, ἐθεῖος, καὶ ἠθεῖος· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἦθος γέγονεν ἠθεῖος· σημαίνει δὲ φιλοφρόνησιν ἀπὸ νεωτέρου εἰς παλαιότερον); ibid., p. 268 (ἀπὸ τῶν εἰς ος οὐδετέρων μὴ παραληγόμενα τὸ α διὰ τοῦ ειος γινόμενα διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου γράφεται· ὄνειδος, ὀνείδειος· ἕρκος, ἕρκειος· ἦθος, ἤθειος· οὕτως καὶ τέλος, τέλειος· πλὴν τοῦ τέμενος, τεμένιος); Etym. Gudianum, eta, p. 238 (Ἠθεῖος, ἀδελφὸς, διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ θεὸς γέγονε θέϊος, καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν τοῦ ε καὶ ι εἰς τὴν ει δίφθογγον θεῖος, καὶ κατὰ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ η ἠθεῖος. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἦθος γέγονεν ἠθεῖος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 422 (Ἦθος: Ὁ τρόπος· παρὰ τὸ ἔθος, ἦθος, κατ’ ἔκτασιν τοῦ ε· καὶ τὸ ἠθεῖος τινὲς ἐπὶ τοῦ συνήθους λαμβάνουσιν, ἵν’ ᾖ ἐθεῖος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, eta, p. 980 (Ἠθεῖε. προφώνημα νέου πρὸς πρεσβύτερον. ἢ ἠθεῖος ὁ πάππος. παρὰ τὸ θεὸς θέϊος, κατὰ συναίρεσιν θεῖος, κατ’ ἐπέκτασιν ἠθεῖος, ὡς βαιὸν ἠβαιὸν, μύει ἠμύει. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἔθος ἐθεῖος, καὶ ἠθεῖος κατ’ ἔκτασιν. ἢ ἠθεῖος ὁ ἄγαν θεῖος καὶ θαυμαστός)

Modern etymology

Derivative of ἦθος meaning properly ‘familiar, customary’ (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre