οὐ + νοέω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
ὄνος
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
onos
English translation (word)
ass
Transliteration (Etymon)
ou + noeō
English translation (etymon)
not + to think
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Vat. gr. 1456), 168
Ed.
A.M. Micciarelli Collesi, "Nuovi `excerpta' dall' `etimologico' di Orione," Byzantion 40 (1970)
Quotation
Ὄνος: ἐκ τοῦ οὐ νοεῖν. ἢ ὠνητόν.
Translation (En)
Onos ("ass"): from ou noein ("not to think"). Or from ōnēton ("bought").
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, 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).
Modern etymology
Unknown, maybe a loanword (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG has όνος as a learned word, the usual word is γάιδαρος
Entry By
Arthur de Tocqueville
Comment
The word is assumed to be the nominal transposition of a negated verb. It implies a formal manipulation, the loss of [u] in the alleged negation. This etymology relies on the widespread use of ὄνος, as in many modern languages, as a depreciative word referring to the stubbornness of the animal. Therefore it is the prototype of the stupid creature.