ἵσταμαι + αὔρα
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
σταυρούς
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
stauros
English translation (word)
upright pale, (later) cross
Transliteration (Etymon)
histamai + aura
English translation (etymon)
to stand + breeze
Century
5/6 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Lexicon p. 1665
Ed.
P.A. Hansen, Hesychii alexandrini Lexicon (vol. 3), Berlin - New York, 2009
Quotation
σταυρούς· ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὴν αὔραν ἵστασθαι
Translation (En)
upright pales; from their "standing" (ἵστασθαι) in the "breeze" (αὔραν)
Other translation(s)
Modern Greek: σταυρούς: από το ότι στέκονται (ἵστασθαι) στον αέρα (αὔραν)
Parallels
Hesych., sigma 1664: σταυροί· οἱ καταπεπηγότες σκόλοπες, χάρακες, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἑστῶτα ξύλα, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑστάναι
Modern etymology
The word has an exact counterpart in Old Icelandic staurr. A name is supposed on the basis of Latin instaurare "re-establish". Indo-European root *steh2- (Lat. stare, Gr. histamai, Skt. tiṣṭhati, Engl. stay, stand, Germ. stehen)
Persistence in Modern Greek
The word is used in MG to denote: a) the 'cross', made of two pieces of wood for execution, b) the symbol of Jesus Christ and Christianity, c) the figure of a cross, d) the gesture of a cross, e) any object figuring a cross (Triandafyllidis, Dict. of MG)
Entry By
Maria Chriti
Comment
The word is analysed as a compound of histamai "to stand", which is correct and generally admitted by Greek lexicographers (see Parallels), and aura "breeze", which is not, because of the phonetic similarity. Stephanus identifies the second element of the "compound" stauros as aēr "air" rather than aura "breeze" (Vallus, Palus ligneus acutus et erectus: ab ἵστασθαι dictus, quoniam ἵσταται εἰς ἀέρα ᾐρμένος): this is less close phonetically but more understandable semantically. In general, σταυρός is connected to "ἵστημι/ἵσταμαι" but also to "πήγνυμι" (= stick/fix in) in several cases in ancient texts: Homer, Od. 14.11-14, Thucyd. 4.90.2.3 & 6.100.3.3, Xenoph. Anab. 7.4.14.5, Plut. Flam. 944