κεύθω

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Fri, 04/12/2024 - 13:15

Word-form

κύστις

Transliteration (Word)

kustis

English translation (word)

bladder

Transliteration (Etymon)

keuthō

English translation (etymon)

to conceal

Author

Meletius

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

De natura hominis p. 110

Ed.

J. A. Cramer, Anecdota Graeca e codd. manuscriptis bibliothecarum Oxoniensium, vol. 3, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1836 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1963)

Quotation

ἡ δὲ κύστις, ἀπὸ τοῦ κεύθειν τὸ οὖρον

Translation (En)

And the bladder (kustis) <is so named> from "to conceal" (keuthein) the urine

Comment

Derivational etymology, relying on the correct observation that θ becomes σ before a dental stop, for which Eustathius sources provide parallels – Eustathius' formulation in the Commentary on the Odyssey seems to imply that the derivation was made from the future form κεύθω → κεύσω → κύστις. The bladder is the "concealing" organ because, as in any bag, its content is hidden – this could apply to many hollow organs in the human body

Parallels

Leo Medicus, De natura hominum synopsis 72 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 356 (Κύστις, παρὰ τὸ κεύθειν ἐφήβιον ὑπογάστριον, καὶ διὰ τὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φυλάττειν τὰ ὑγρά· ἢ παρὰ τὸ μόριον κύειν τὸ οὖρος· σημαίνει δὲ τὸ οὐροδόχον ἀγγεῖον); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 1, p. 662 (Τὸ δὲ εὔτυκτον γίνεται μὲν ἐκ τοῦ τεύχω, ἀπέβαλε δὲ τὸ ε διὰ εὐφωνίαν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ κύστις ἐκ τοῦ κεύθω οὖσα καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πεύθω ἡ πύστις, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ μάθησις); ibid., vol. 2, p. 23 (Δοκεῖ γὰρ λέγειν ἀντικρὺ ἑτέρωθεν τοῦ ῥηθέντος γλουτοῦ κεῖσθαι τὴν κύστιν, ἣ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεύθω γενομένη ἐξῶσε τὸ ε ὁμοίως τῷ πεύθω πύστις, ἡ μάθησις, καὶ ἑτέροις πολλοῖς δηλουμένοις ἀλλαχοῦ); ibid., vol. 3, p. 516 (ἀνάλογον δὲ πάντως τῷ πεύθω πύστις καὶ τὸ κεύθω κύστις, ἡ κεύθουσα ἔσω ὑγρὸν φυσικόν); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 414 (γίνεται δὲ ἡ λέξις ἀπὸ τοῦ πεύθω πεύσω, ἐξ οὗ πύστις ἡ δι’ ἐρωτήσεως μάθησις, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ κεύσω ἡ κύστις); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 548 (Κύστις: Ἀπὸ τοῦ κεύθειν τὸ οὖρον· σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τὸ οὐροδόχον ἀγγεῖον, τὴν λεγομένην φύσαν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 1268 (Κύστις. ἀπὸ τοῦ κεύθειν ἢ κρύπτειν τὸ οὖρον. σημαίνει καὶ τὸ οὐροδόχον ἀγγεῖον)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has κύστη as the name of the organ

Entry By

Le Feuvre