πείθω
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
πίθηκος· παρὰ τὸν πιθήσω μέλλοντα, ὅπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ πιθῶ περισπωμένου γέγονεν· πείθει γὰρ ἡμᾶς τὸ ζῷον εἰδεχθὲς ὂν προσέχειν αὐτῷ
Translation (En)
Pithēkos (Monkey): from the future pithēsō ('I will convince you'), coming from the contract pithō ('to convince'). This is because this animal despite being ugly persuades us to pay attention to him
Other translation(s)
Pithēkos ('scimmia'): dal futuro pithēsō ('Ti convincerò'), una forma che viene da pithō ('Ti convinco'). Infatti questo animale, pur essendo orrendo, ci convince a prestargli attenzione
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum, pi, p. 134 (Πίθηκος. παρὰ τὸν πιθήσω μέλλοντα. ἀπὸ τοῦ πιθῶ. πείθει γὰρ ἡμᾶς τὸ ζῶον); Suda, pi 1580 (Πίθηκος: τὸ ζῷον, ἡ μιμώ. παρὰ τὸ πιθῶ, πιθήσω· πείθει γὰρ ἡμᾶς); Etym Gudianum, pi, p. 467 (Πίθηκος, παρὰ τὸν πιθήσω μέλλοντα, ἀπὸ τοῦ πιθῶ περισπωμένου· πείθει γὰρ ἡμᾶς τὸ ζῶον, εἰδεχθὲς ὂν, προσέχειν αὐτῷ· οὕτω Φιλόξενος ἐν τῷ περὶ περισπωμένων ῥημάτων).
The etymology is implicit in Scholia in Aristophanem, Ran. 1084: Δημοπιθήκους δὲ τοὺς πανούργους περὶ τὸν δῆμον, ὡς τὸ ζῷον ὁ πίθηκος. ἢ τοὺς τὸν δῆμον κολακεύοντας καὶ πείθοντας
Bibliography
General references on primates in Antiquity: W.C. McDermott, The Ape in Antiquity, Baltimore 1938; C., Connors, "Monkey business : imitation, authenticity, and identity from Pithekoussai to Plautus" 2004, Classical Antiquity 23 (2) : 179-207; C. Greenlaw, The Representation of Monkeys in the Art and Thought of Mediterranean Cultures, Oxford 2011
Comment
The verb *πιθέω - πιθῶ is a ghost-form invented to explain πίθηκος: it is drawn from the negative ἀπιθέω "I do not believe", attested in Homer and in poetry and belonging to the root of πείθω, through removal of the negative prefix. For a general insight into ancient 'folk' etymologies concerning primates see above all Isidorus' Etymologiae 12.2.30, where different hypotheses are put forward