κάμπτω + μηρός
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ ζῷον τὸ καλούμενον κάμηλος μέσους κάμπτει τοὺς μηροὺς ὑποτεμνόμενον τοῖν σκελοῖν τὸ ὕψος, ἐτύμως κεκλημένον κάμηλος οἱονεὶ κάμμηρος, ὥς φησιν Εὔηνος ἐν τοῖς εἰς Εὔνομον Ἐρωτικοῖς
Translation (En)
Since the animal called kamēlos "camel" bends (kamptei) its thighs (mērous) in the middle, lessening the height of its legs, being truly called kamēlos, as though it were *kammēros "thigh-bending", as Euenus says in his Erōtika to Eunomus
Parallels
Horapollo, Hieroglyphica 2.100 (ἐκείνη γάρ, μόνη τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων, τὸν μηρὸν κάμπτει, διὸ καὶ κάμηρος λέγεται); Orion, Etymologicum, kappa, p. 83 (Κάμηλος. καμηρός τις ἐστίν· ἀπὸ τοῦ τοὺς μηροὺς κάμπτειν ἐν τῷ καθέζεσθαι); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. regio 2610) p. 179 (Κάμηλος· κατὰ συγγένειαν τὸ ρ πρὸς τὸ λ, κάμηρός τις, ἀπὸ τὸ τοὺς μηροὺς κάμπτειν ἐν τῷ καθέζεσθαι. οὕτως Ἡράκλειτος); Etym. Parvum, kappa 55 (Κάμηλος· ὅτι χαμαὶ καθημένη αἴρει τὸ φορτίον, χάμηλος καὶ κάμηλος. ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ παρὰ τὸ κάμπτειν τοὺς μηρούς); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 295 (Κάμηλος, ὅτι χάμαι καθημένη αἴρει τὸ φόρτιον, χάμηλος καὶ κάμηλος. ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ παρὰ τὸ κάμπτειν τοὺς μηρούς· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κάμνειν μᾶλλον. |Κάμηλος, χαλάμηλος, ὅτι χαμαὶ καθήμενος γομοῦται καὶ αἴρει τὸ φορτίον. τινὲς κάμειν μῆρος, ἀπὸ τοῦ κάμτειν τοὺς μήρους, κάμηλος κατὰ συγγένειαν πρὸ τοῦ ρ πρὸ τοῦ λ κάμηρός τις ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τοὺς μήρους κάμπτειν, ἐν τῷ καθέζεσθαι, οὕτως Ἡράκλειτος); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 319 (Κάμπτει κάμηλος μηρὸν εἰς γόνυ ξένον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 487-488 (Κάμηλος: Τὸ ζῷον· ὅτι χαμαὶ καθημένη αἴρει τὸ φορτίον, χάμηλος, καὶ κάμηλος. Ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τὸ κάμπτειν τοὺς μηροὺς ἐν τῷ καθέζεσθαι, κάμηρός τις οὖσα καὶ κάμηλος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 1156 (Κάμηλος. ἀπὸ τοῦ κάμπτειν τοὺς μηροὺς ἐν τῷ καθέζεσθαι, κάμηρός τις οὖσα καὶ κάμηλος)
Comment
Compositional descriptive etymology referring to a characteristic feature of the animal. The segmentation is κα(μ)-μηλος: the etymology implies the simplification of the geminate and the change of [r] into [l], which was not a problem for Greek scholars (see Parallels) given the many cases of liquid dissimilation.