ὀνίνημι
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Ὄνος παρὰ τὴν ὄνησιν τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις. ὁ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς τέκτοσι, παρὰ τὸ βαστάζειν.
Translation (En)
Onos ("ass") comes from the profit (onēsin) it gives in works. What is among workers [the windlass] is said so because it lifts up materials.
Parallels
Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 139 (ἡμίονος, ἐκ τοῦ ἥμισυς καὶ τοῦ ὄνος, τὸ δὲ ἥμισυς παρὰ τὸ ἅμα ἴσος εἶναι, τὸ δὲ ὄνος παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ τὸ ὠφελῶ); ibid., p. 172 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, eta, p. 244 (Ἡμίονος, ἐκ τοῦ ἥμισυ καὶ τοῦ ὄνος. τὸ ἥμισυ παρὰ τὸ ἅμα ἶσον εἶναι, τὸ δὲ ὄνος παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ τὸ ὠφελῶ); ibid., omicron, p. 430 (Ὄνος, τὸ ζῶον, διὰ τοῦ οὐ νοεῖν· ἢ ὤνιον εἶναι· ἢ παρὰ τὴν ὄνησιν τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γινομένην ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις. Ὄνος, παρότι ὀνητὸν, ἤτοι ὠφέλιμον ἐν τῷ βαστάζειν· ἢ διὰ τὸ νωθρὸν ὑπάρχειν); Etym. Magnum Kallierges, p. 626 (Ὄνος: Ἐπὶ τοῦ ζῴου, παρὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ γινομένην ὄνησιν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ παρὰ τέκτονος εἰργασμένου καὶ ὁμοίως εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ βαστάζειν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, omicron, p. 1453 (Ὄνος. παρὰ τὴν ὄνησιν τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς γινομένην ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις).
Comment
Paronymic derivational etymology relying on the wide use of the donkey in Antiquity for various purposes. The metaphoric use of ὄνος as a construction engine is correctly explained: it can lift heavy weights as the donkey does.