μένω

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Last modification

Mon, 08/02/2021 - 21:58

Word-form

μῆνις

Transliteration (Word)

mēnis

English translation (word)

wrath

Transliteration (Etymon)

menō

English translation (etymon)

I stay

Author

Chrysippus

Century

3 BC

Reference

fr. 416, l. 33

Edition

J. von Arnim, Stoicorum veterum fragmenta, vol. 3, Leipzig, 1903

Source

Nemesius

Ref.

De natura hominis 20, 81

Ed.

M. Morani, Nemesii Emeseni de natura hominis, Leipzig, 1987

Quotation

μῆνις δὲ χολὴ εἰς παλαίωσιν ἀγομένη· εἴρηται γὰρ παρὰ τὸ μένειν καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ παραδεδόσθαι (Stoicae affectuum definitiones apud Nemesium De nat. hominis, cp. 21)

Translation (En)

"Wrath" (mēnis) is anger grown old; it is named after menein "to stay" and because it is transmitted through memory

Comment

This etymology found first in Stoic philosophy relies on the morphological alternation between [ē] and [ĕ] as in tithēmi "I place" ~ tithĕmen "we place", and of course on the identical consonantal sequence. This allows for a semantic characterization of mēnis as a long-lasting anger, as opposed to other names for anger such as kholos or orgē

Parallels

D Schol. Il. 1.1. (μῆνιν· ὀργήν, χόλον ἐπίμονον); A Schol. Il. 1.1c Erbse (μῆνις παρὰ τὸ μένω μῆνις ὡϲ ἔνοϲ ἦνις); Origen, Homiliae in Psalmos 13, 7, 2 (μῆνίς ἐστι μέχρι
 καιροῦ μένουσα ἡ λεγομένη ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ); Porphyry, Quaest. hom. liber 1, 78, 10 (ὅτι δὲ παρὰ τὸ μένειν ἡ μῆνις); Hesychius, Lexicon, mu 1217 (μῆνις· ἔμμονος
 καὶ παρατεταμένη ὀργή); Orion, Etymologicum delta, p. 50 (Δῆμος. ὁ συνδεδημένος ὄχλος. δέω δέσω δέμος καὶ δῆμος […] ὡς μένω μένις καὶ μῆνις, ἡ ἐμμένουσα ὀργή); Anonymus lexicographus, Sunagōgē lexeōn khrēsimōn, mu 196 (μῆνις· ὀργὴ ἔμμονος); Photius, Lexicon, mu 400 (idem); Lexica segueriana, mu, p. 301 (idem); John of Damascus, Exposition fidei 30, 9-10 (Μῆνις δὲ χολὴ ἐπιμένουσα ἤγουν μνησικακία· εἴρηται δὲ
 παρὰ τὸ μένειν καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ παραδίδοσθαι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 264 (Δέω, δέμος καὶ δῆμος, ὁ συνδεδεμένος ὄχλος, ὡς μένω, μένις καὶ μῆνις); Etym. Symeonis, delta 179 (δῆμος […] τὸ μὲν γὰρ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ δέω, τὸ δεσμεύω, δέμος, δῆμος, ὡς μένω μένις καὶ μῆνις)

Modern etymology

Unclear. See the various attempts in Beekes, EDG. The most likely etymology is a dissimilation from *mneh2-ni-, from root *mneh2- "to remember" (C. Watkins, BSL 1972)

Persistence in Modern Greek

The word is still used in Modern Greek with the meaning 'wrath', but only in accusative singular and in formal speech (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek)

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