λεῖος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
λήϊον
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
lēïon
English translation (word)
corn field
Transliteration (Etymon)
leios
English translation (etymon)
smooth
Century
1 AD
Source
Apollonius Soph.
Ref.
Lexicon homericum, p. 108
Ed.
I. Bekker, Apollonii Sophistae lexicon Homericum, Berlin: Reimer, 1833 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1967)
Quotation
λήϊον τὸ σιτοφόρον χωρίον. ὁ δὲ Ἀπίων ἐτυμολογῶν φησὶ “λεαίνει γὰρ τῇ τροφῇ· ἀγριοῦνται γὰρ οἱ λιμώττοντες.” βέλτιον δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐπιφαινομένην κατ’ ἴσον λειότητα τῶν σταχύων.
Translation (En)
Lēïon, the field bearing crops. And Apion etymologizes it saying that "it smoothens (leainei) by food, for those who are starving are wild." Better, however, from the appearing smooth regularity of the ears of corn.
Parallels
Hesychius, Lexicon, lambda 825 (λήιον· σιτοφόρον χωρίον An ἀπὸ τοῦ λειαίνειν τὴν τροφήν. ἀγριοῦνται γὰρ οἱ λιμώσσοντες. βέλτιον δὲ ψιλῶς, διὰ τὴν ἐπιφαινομένην κατὰ καιρὸν λειότητα τῶν ἀσταχύων [which Lentz thinks comes from Herodian, Peri orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 544])
Modern etymology
Unknown. The suggested connexion with λαύω (Beekes, EDG) is doubtful
Persistence in Modern Greek
No
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational etymology, implying a lengthening of /e/. The fact that λεῖος has a diphthong /ei/ whereas λήιιος is trisyllabic was not taken into account and shows that grammarians were resigning on the written form of the word. The etymology is semantically fantastic. Apollonius understands it as a descriptive etymology, referring to the aspect of the field, and Apion as a functional etymology, as the function of food is to silence the wild behavior of men