σκυτάλη: Difference between revisions

|Definition=[<b class="b3">ᾰ], ἡ</b>, <span class="sense"><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">A</span> [[staff]], [[cudgel]], [[club]], <span class="bibl">D.S.3.8</span>; <b class="b3">σ. ἀγριέλαιος</b>, of Heracles' [[club]], AP9.237 (Eryc.); cf. [[σκύταλον]]:—Special usages: </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">1</span> at Sparta, [[staff]] or [[baton]], used as a cypher for writing dispatches, a strip of leather being rolled slantwise round it, on which the dispatches were written lengthwise, so that when unrolled they were unintelligible: commanders abroad had a staff of like thickness, round which they rolled these strips, and so were able to read the dispatches:—hence <b class="b3">σκυτάλη</b> came to mean <b class="b2">a Spartan dispatch</b>, <span class="bibl">Th.1.131</span>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">HG</span>3.3.8</span>, <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Lys.</span>991</span>, <span class="bibl">Plu.<span class="title">Lys.</span>19</span>, Gell.17.9.15; and, generally, [[dispatch]], [[message]], as Pi. calls the bearer of his ode σκυτάλα Μοισᾶν <span class="bibl"><span class="title">O.</span>6.91</span>, where the Sch. quotes <b class="b3">ἀχνυμένη σκυτάλη</b> (dub. sens.) from Archil. (<span class="bibl"><span class="title">Fr.</span>89.2</span>); <b class="b3">ἡ σκυτάλης περιτροπή</b>, of labour in vain (cf. [[ὕπερος]]), <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Tht.</span>209d</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> [[pole]] or [[staff]], like those of a sedan-chair, <span class="bibl">LXX <span class="title">Ex.</span>30.4</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">3</span> <b class="b2">strickle for levelling grain</b> piled up in a measure, σ. δικαία <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PTeb.</span>823.15</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">PAmh.</span>2.43.10</span> (both ii B.C.), cf. <span class="bibl">Poll.4.170</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">4</span> <b class="b2">wooden tally</b> or [[ticket]] on a money-bag, etc., <span class="bibl">Diosc.Hist.4</span>, <span class="bibl">D.S.13.106</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">5</span> [[strip]] or <b class="b2">rod of metal</b> or [[ivory]], κασσιτέρου <span class="title">Inscr.Délos</span> 442 <span class="title">B</span>170 (ii B.C.); <b class="b3">ἐλέφαντος</b> ibid.; cf. <span class="bibl">Hld.9.15</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">6</span> <b class="b2">scourge whip</b>, Moer.<span class="bibl">p.346P.</span> </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">7</span> [[handle]] or [[lever]] in a machine, <span class="bibl">Orib.49.3.3</span>; [[handspike]] for turning a wheel, <span class="bibl">Ph.<span class="title">Bel.</span>68.6</span>, <span class="bibl">85.2</span>, <span class="bibl">Hero <span class="title">Bel.</span>86.12</span> (pl.). </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">II</span> [[sucker]] from a stem, <span class="title">Gp.</span>9.11.4, al. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">III</span> [[cylinder]] or [[roller]] wherewith weights are moved, <span class="bibl">Arist.<span class="title">Mech.</span>852a16</span>, cf. <span class="bibl"><span class="title">CPHerm.</span> 95.16</span> (iii A.D.). </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">IV</span> <b class="b2">a serpent</b>, of uniform roundness and thickness, <span class="bibl">Nic.<span class="title">Th.</span>384</span>, Sor. ap. <span class="bibl">Philum.<span class="title">Ven.</span>27.3</span> (for <span class="bibl">Plu.<span class="title">Crass.</span>32</span> v. [[Σκύλλα]]). </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> <b class="b2">a fish</b> of like shape, <span class="bibl">Opp.<span class="title">H.</span>1.184</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">V</span> <b class="b2">finger-bone, phalanx</b>, <span class="bibl">Paul.Aeg.6.43</span>, <span class="bibl">Tz.<span class="title">H.</span>9.126</span>.</span>

|etymtx=Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: [[stick]], [[club]], [[spar]], [[drum]] in diff. technical mean. (Archil., Pi.). From the lit. is esp. known the letter-staff, which the Spartans used for secret dispatches. Metaph. as des. of a snake (Nic. a. o.), of a fish (Opp.; Strömberg Fischn. 36).<br />Other forms: Beside <b class="b3">σκύταλον</b> n. [[stick]], [[club]] (Pi., Hdt., Ar., X.).<br />Derivatives: Dimin. <b class="b3">σκυτάλ-ιον</b> n. (Ar., hell. a. late), <b class="b3">-ίς</b> f. (Hdt., hell a. late); further <b class="b3">-ίας</b> m. as name of a <b class="b3">σίκυος</b> (Thphr.; Strömberg Theophr. 91) a. o.; <b class="b3">-ωτός</b> <b class="b2">provided with a σ.</b> (Hero, EM); <b class="b3">-ισμός</b> m. <b class="b2">fist-law</b>, in Argos (D.S., Plu.); <b class="b3">-όομαι</b> <b class="b2">to be clubbed</b> (EM, H.) with <b class="b3">-ωσις</b> (Trozen).<br />Origin: XX [etym. unknown]<br />Etymology: Instrument name like <b class="b3">ῥόπαλον</b>, <b class="b3">πάσσαλος</b> a. o. (Chantraine Form. 245 f.); no certain connection. First from <b class="b3">*σκύτος</b> (cf. <b class="b3">σκυτίζει σπαράττει</b> H. ?), which agrees formally with Lith. <b class="b2">skùtas</b> [[rag]], [[piece]], [[patch]]. Besides the primary verb <b class="b2">skutù</b>, <b class="b2">skùsti</b> [[shave]], [[plane]], [[peel]] (cf. on <b class="b3">ξύω</b>); so <b class="b3">*σκύος</b>, <b class="b3">-άλη</b> prop. *'planed piece of wood'? (Lith. <b class="b2">skutùlė</b> <b class="b2">wooden box with cover</b> (Rozwadowski, s. Glotta 2, 356) is a loan from MLG [[schuttel]], from Lat. [[scutella]]). -- Lat. LW [loanword] [[scutula]]. Cf. [[σκῦρος]], [[σκύτη]] and [[σκῦτος]].