δῆλος

Validation

Yes

Word-form

Δᾶλον

Transliteration (Word)

Dālos

English translation (word)

Delos

Transliteration (Etymon)

dēlos

English translation (etymon)

clear

Author

Pindar

Century

5 BC

Reference

fr. 33c, 4-6

Edition

H. Maehler, Pindari carmina cum fragmentis, pt. 2 (4th ed.), Leipzig: Teubner, 1975

Source

Theophrastus

Ref.

Physicorum opiniones 12.29

Ed.

H. Diels, Doxographi Graeci, Berlin, 1879

Translation (En)

[…] which mortals call Dâlon, but the gods on Olympus the têlephanton "visible-from-afarastron “star” of the dark earth

Comment

IMPLICIT ETYMOLOGY. See Δῆλος. Play on divine name vs human name : the divine name plays both on the former name of the island, Asteria (ἄστρον "star") and on its modern name Delos, in Doric Dâlos, meaning "visible" (τηλέφαντος "visible from afar"). The etymon of the modern name is replaced by a rare compound (not attested before Pindar in the current state of our documentation) used as an epithet of the former name

Parallels

See Callimachus, Hymn 4.36-40 (on Delos' former name Asteria), Hymn 4.53-54 (etymology of Delos' name).

Modern etymology

Δῆλος is from *δέαλος, cognate with δέατο "he appeared", from *deih2- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

The adjective is no longer used in Modern Greek, except for some cases of compound adjectives, such as πρόδηλος, κατάδηλος etc. However, the name of the sacred island still exists.