μή + εἷς

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Last modification

Sun, 04/16/2023 - 10:50

Word-form

μῆνιν

Transliteration (Word)

mēnis

English translation (word)

wrath

Transliteration (Etymon)

mē + heis

English translation (etymon)

not + one

Author

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Century

12 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem 1, 13, 12-13

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, Leiden, 1971-1987

Quotation

τινὲς δὲ μῆνίν φασι παρὰ 
τὸ μὴ ἕν· στερεῖ γὰρ τῆς ἑνότητος διϊστῶσα τοὺς ἐρίζοντας

Translation (En)

"But some say that mēnis "wrath" is from mē hen "not one"; because it deprives people of unity, separating those who quarrel"

Comment

This etymology parses the word as a compound of the negation and the numeral hen "one" (neuter). It is a Cratylic etymology seeking to reduce words to the smallest units, here two monosyllables, despite the fact that is never used in compounds (but see a similar analysis in μήνη / μὴ μένειν, μῖσος / ἴσος). From the formal point of view, it relies on the fact that the contraction of [ē] + [ĕ] yields [ē]. The etymology is not by Eustathius himself, but we do not know his source. It is found also in the Scholia in Batrachomyomachia, where it is justified by an etymology ex antonymo (see Parallels).

Parallels

Scholia in Batrachomyomachia 102, 13-15 : ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ἡ μῆνις, ἀπὸ τοῦ μή στερητικοῦ μορίου καὶ τοῦ ἑνῶ, ἡ μὴ ἑνοῦσα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον διαιροῦσα, ὥσπερ αὖ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου εἰρήνη, ἡ εἴρουσα καὶ ἡ συμπλέκουσα εἰς ἕν "mēnis also has a different etymology, from the privative particle and the verb henō ‘to unite’, it is the one which does not unite, but rather separates, as conversely the antonym eirēnē ‘peace’ is the one which binds and ties together into one".

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 nominative and accusative singular in formal speech (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek)

Entry By

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