View source for Πέρσαι

{{elru
|elrutext='''Πέρσαι:''' οἱ pl. к [[Πέρσης]] II.
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{{etym
|etymtx=Grammatical information: pl. (sg. rare)<br />Meaning: name of an Iranian people (The name <b class="b3">Πέρσης</b> of the brother of Hesiodos may have been reshaped after this.)<br />Derivatives: <b class="b3">Περσικός</b> in <b class="b3">ἡ Περσική</b> [[Persia]], <b class="b3">-αι</b> a kind of women's slippers (Ar.), <b class="b3">περσική</b> [[peach]] (a loan from Christian imes) with <b class="b3">περσικών</b> <b class="b2">orchard of peaches</b>; <b class="b3">περσικὰ καρύα</b> <b class="b2">the Persian (wal)nut</b>, <b class="b3">περσικός ὄρνις</b> (Ar.) because the chicken was introduced in the time of the Median wars (but s. Taillardat, Images d' Aristophane $ 30. <b class="b3">Περσίς</b> (Aesch., Hdt.) <b class="b2">a Persian soman</b>; <b class="b3">Περσίζω</b> <b class="b2">speak Persian</b> (X.), adv. <b class="b3">περσιστί</b> (Hdt., X.).<br />Origin: LW [a loanword which is (probably) not of Pre-Greek origin] OP<br />Etymology: From OP [[Parsa]]. One assumed <b class="b3">Πηρσ-</b> > <b class="b3">Περσ-</b> (Meillet-Benvenist, Gr. du vieux perse 28, 49. But Lejeune Phon. $ 223 add. would prefer <b class="b3">Παρσ-</b> > <b class="b3">Παρσ-</b> > <b class="b3">Περσ-</b>, as shortening of a long vowel before sonant seems older then <b class="b3">α</b> > <b class="b3">η</b>. Perh. the word was influenced by <b class="b3">Περσεύς</b>, from whom the Greeks derived the name Persian.
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