σάλος

Validation

No

Last modification

Sun, 12/18/2022 - 07:45

Word-form

θάλασσα

Transliteration (Word)

thalassa

English translation (word)

sea

Transliteration (Etymon)

salos

English translation (etymon)

tossing motion

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, theta, p. 71

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

Θάλασσα. παρὰ τὸν σάλον, σάλασσα, καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ σ εἰς θ, θάλασσα· ἢ παρὰ τὴν αλ γενικὴν, ἄλασσα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ, θάλασσα.

Translation (En)

Thalassa "sea": from its tossing motion (salon), *salassa, and by change of the [s] into [th], thalassa. Or from the genitive of hal<s> "sea", *halassa, and with addition of [th], thalassa

Comment

Derivational descriptive etymology implying one formal change, the addition of a consonant at the beginning of the word. The etymology was probably designed at a time when θ had become an interdental fricative, rather close to [s].

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 253 (Θάλασσα, ἡ θοῶς ἀλλασσομένη καὶ σαλευομένη); ibid., p. 253 (Θάλασσα, παρὰ τὸ σάλον σάλασσα καὶ θάλασσα. παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου, τοὺς πλέοντας ἐν αὐτῇ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 441 (Θάλασσα: Παρὰ τὸν σάλον, σάλασσα καὶ θάλασσα, μεταθέσει τοῦ σ εἰς θ, ὡς ὀρχησμὸς, ὀρχηθμός. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου γίνεται θάνασσα, καὶ θάλασσα. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἁλὸς γενικὴν, ἅλασσα· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ, θάλασσα. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ τείνω, ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιτεταμένην ἔχειν τὴν ὁδόν); Schol. Oppianum, Hal. 1.9 (θάλασσα παρὰ τὸ σάλον ἐμποιεῖν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ θᾶσσον εἶναι θανάτου θάνασσα καὶ θάλασσα)

Modern etymology

Unknown, probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes

Entry By

Le Feuvre