δικεῖν

Word

Validation

No

Last modification

Mon, 04/15/2024 - 10:50

Word-form

δίσκος

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

diskos

English translation (word)

discus

Transliteration (Etymon)

dikeîn

English translation (etymon)

to throw

Author

Pindar

Century

6-5 BC

Source

idem

Ref.

Olympia 10.72

Ed.

H. Maehler (post B. Snell), Pindari carmina cum fragmentis, pt. 1, 5th edn., Leipzig: Teubner, 1971

Quotation

μᾶκος δὲ Νικεὺς ἔδικε πέτρῳ χέρα κυκλώσαις ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων

Translation (En)

Niceus sent (edike) the stone flying from his circling arm beyond all the others (transl. D. Arnson Svarlien)

Comment

Derivational etymology, implicit in Pindar, who uses the rare verb ἔδικε for the throwing of the discus, thereby etymologizing the word. The word "discus" is replaced by "stone" (πέτρῳ), and the notion of circle is conveyed by κυκλώσαις, which, however, applies here to the motion of the arm rather than to the form of the discus. This form of hypallage is customary for Pindar. Pindar's line is quoted as a paretymology in the Etym. Magnum

Parallels

Hesychius, Lexicon, alpha 4707 (ἄνδικε· ἀνάρριψον. Δικεῖν γὰρ τὸ ῥίπτειν· ὅθεν καὶ ὁ δίσκος ἀπὸ τοῦ ῥίπτεσθαι. τὸ δίκτυον τὸ δικούμενον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν); ibid., delta 1815 (*δικεῖν· βάλλειν, ῥίπτειν. AS ὅθεν καὶ δίκτυον καὶ δίσκον); Orion, Etymologicum, delta, p. 44 (Δίσκος. παρὰ τὸ δικεῖν καὶ ῥίπτειν, καὶ περιττεύει τὸ σ.); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 820 (Ἀνδίκτης (Call. fr. 177, 33)· εἶδος παγίδος (l. c.)· ‘ἀνδίκτην τε μάλ’ εἰδότα μακρὸν ἁλέσθαι’· παρὰ τὸ δίκειν, τὸ βάλλειν, ἐξ οὗ· ‘†δίκεται τρομερὰ σώματα’, Εὐριπίδης (Bacch. 600)· ἔνθεν δίκος καὶ δίσκος ὁ ῥιπτούμενος καὶ βαλλόμενος); Etym. Parvum, delta 24 (Δίσκος· παρὰ τὸ δίκω, τὸ βάλλω· ὁ βαλλόμενος πλεονασμῷ τοῦ Σ); Συναγωγὴ λἐξεων χρησίμων (B), alpha 1233 (ἄνδικε· ἀνάρριψον. δικεῖν γὰρ τὸ ῥίπτειν. ὅθεν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ῥίπτεσθαι ὠνόμασται τὸ δίκτυον, οἱονεὶ τὸ δικούμενον εἰς θάλασσαν); Etym. Gudianum, delta, p. 365 (Δίκτυον· παρὰ τὸ δίκειν, ὅ ἐστι ῥίπτειν καὶ βαλεῖν, ἐξ οὗ <καὶ> δί<σ>κος [τὸ δίκτυον]); ibid., delta, p.369 (Δίσκος· παρὰ τὸ δίκω, τὸ βάλλω· ὁ βαλλόμενος. ‖ ἢ παρὰ τὸ δίκω, τὸ ῥίπτω, δίκος· περισσὸν δὲ τὸ ς); ibid., p. 365 (Δίκ⟦τυον⟧· π⟦αρὰ τὸ δί⟧κω, τὸ ῥίπτω, ⟦δίσκος, ὁ ῥιπτόμενος, καὶ τὸ κατὰ τῶν ἰχθύων ῥιπτόμενον δίχθυον καὶ δίκτυον⟧); ibid., delta, p. 369 (Δίσκος· παρὰ τὸ δίκειν, τὸ ῥίπτειν· λέγεται δὲ πᾶν τὸ τροχοειδές); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 1, p. 537 (γίνεται δὲ δίσκος ἀπὸ τοῦ δίκω, τὸ βάλλω καὶ ἀφίημι, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ. ἐκ τούτου δὲ καὶ δίκτυον, τὸ κατὰ ὑγροῦ ἀφιέμενον, ὡς καὶ βόλος ἀπὸ τοῦ βάλλειν); ibid., vol. 1, p. 539 (δίσκος τε γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ δίκειν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀφιέναι καὶ βάλλειν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 279 (Δίσκος: Σημαίνει λίθον τροχοειδῆ εἰς γυμνάσιον ἡρωϊκὸν ἐπιτήδειον. Παρὰ τὸ δίκω, τὸ ῥίπτω, δίκος ὁ ῥιπτούμενος, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ); ibid., p. 279 (Δίκω […] Πίνδαρος οὕτω παρετυμολογεῖ, ‘Δίκε πέτρῳ χεῖρα κυκλώσας’. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ δίσκου τούτου οἱ νῦν ἀργύρεοι δίσκοι ὠνομάσθησαν· ἐπεὶ κυκλοτερεῖς εἰσὶ, καὶ ὅμοιοι ἐκείνοις. Παρὰ τὸ δίκω, τὸ βάλλω, δίσκος πλεονασμῷ τοῦ σ, ὁ βαλλόμενος); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 36 (ἀνδίκτης (Call. Fr. 177, 33)· εἶδος παγίδος· παρὰ τὸ δίκειν, τὸ βάλλειν, ἔνθεν καὶ δίσκος ὁ ῥιπτούμενος); ibid., delta 289 (Δίσκος· παρὰ τὸ δίκειν, καὶ ῥίπτειν, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ς); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 170 (Ἀνδίκτης. εἶδος παγίδος. παρὰ τὸ δίκειν τὸ βάλλειν. ἔνθα καὶ δίσκος, ὁ ῥιπτούμενος); Scholia in Euripidem, Phœn. 640 (δίκειν γὰρ τὸ βάλλειν, ὅθεν καὶ δίσκος)

Modern etymology

The traditional etymology by δικεῖν is morphologically difficult to maintain. Ass Beekes (EDG) notices, there is no present *δίσκω, from which δίσκος could be derived. Yet there is no better hypothesis

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has δίσκος "discus"

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