λεῖος + χαίνω

Validation

No

Last modification

Tue, 04/09/2024 - 22:55

Word-form

λεκάνη

Transliteration (Word)

lekanē

English translation (word)

dish

Transliteration (Etymon)

leios + khainō

English translation (etymon)

smooth + to gape

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, lambda 58

Ed.

K. Alpers, Bericht über Stand und Methode der Ausgabe des Etymologicum genuinum [Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Hist.-filol. Meddelelser 44.3. Copenhagen: Munksgaard, 1969]

Quotation

Λεκάνη· ἧς τὸ χάσμα λεῖόν ἐστι. πεπλάτυνται γάρ. λειοχάνη οὖν ἡ ἐτυμολογία.

Translation (En)

Lekanē "dish": that which has a smooth (leion) opening (khasma), because it is widened. The etymology, therefore, is *leiokhanē

Comment

Compositional etymology. This etymology is clearly derived from the etymology provided for λακάνη "dish", which is the koine form matching Attic λεκάνη. The etymology of the latter (see λεκάνη / λα- + χαίνω) could account for the koine variant, but not for the Attic form. Therefore a different etymology was designed by changing the first member and keeping the second member unchanged. There are several parallel cases in which two different dialectal forms of one and the same word are assumed to have different etymologies (see οὐρανός / ὠρεῖν, ἄρσην / ἔρδω). The alternative solution, favored by some grammarians, was to assume that one form was derived from the other through a formal change (pathos) and to assume only one etymon (see τάγηνον / τήκω, ἑστία / ἕζομαι)

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, lambda, p. 365 (Λεκάνη, ἧς τὸ χάσμα λεῖον ἔστι· πεπλάτηται γὰρ, λειοχάνη τις οὖσα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 559 (Λεκάνη: Ἧς τὸ χάσμα ἐστὶ λεῖον· πεπλάτυται γάρ. Λειοχάνη οὖν ἡ ἐτυμολογία, καὶ λεκάνη); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, lambda, p. 1295 (Λεκάνη. ἧς τὸ χάσμα λεῖόν ἐστι· πεπλάτυνται γάρ. λειοχάνη οὖν ἡ ἐτυμολογία)

Modern etymology

Belongs with λέκος "dish". No clear etymology (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has λεκάνη as a technical archaeological word referring to the type of dish

Entry By

Le Feuvre