λεῖος

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No

Last modification

Wed, 04/10/2024 - 19:00

Word-form

λινόν

Transliteration (Word)

linon

English translation (word)

flax

Transliteration (Etymon)

leios

English translation (etymon)

smooth

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, lambda 114

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

Λινόν: τὸ ἔριον, ἀπὸ τῆς λειότητος. ἢ τὸ λεπτὸν ὕφασμα λινὸν ἔλεγον παρὰ τὸ λίαν νενῆσθαι.

Translation (En)

Linon "flax", the wool, because it is smooth (leiotētos). Or they used to call the fine fabric linon because it is much (lian) woven (nenēsthai)

Comment

Derivational etymology, referring to the smooth quality of linen.

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 566 (Λινόν: Τὸ λῖνος σημαίνει τὸ ἔριον· λινὸν δὲ, τὸ λινοῦν. Τὸ ἔριον, ἀπὸ τῆς λειότητος. Ἢ τὸ λεπτὸν ὕφασμα λινὸν ἔλεγον, παρὰ τὸ λίαν νενῆσθαι) 

Modern etymology

Cognates in Baltic and Slavic. A form *līno- is found in Latin (līnum) and Celtic (OIr. lín "net") (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG has λινάρι "flax"; λινο- is only found in learned compounds

Entry By

Le Feuvre