ἀλφηστής: Difference between revisions

|Definition=οῦ, ὁ, Hom. only in Od., in phrase <b class="b3">ἀνέρες ἀλφησταί</b>, lit. <span class="sense"><span class="bld">A</span> [[earners]] (ἀλφάνω), i.e. [[enterprising]] men, <span class="bibl">Od.1.349</span>, cf. <span class="bibl">Hes. <span class="title">Op.</span>82</span>; especially of [[traders]] or [[seafarers]], <span class="bibl">Od.13.261</span>, <span class="bibl"><span class="title">h.Ap.</span>458</span>; <b class="b3">ἑκὰς ἀνδρῶν ἀλφηστάων</b>, of the Phaeacians, <span class="bibl">Od.6.8</span>.—Ep. word, twice in Trag. (lyr.), <span class="bibl">A.<span class="title">Th.</span>770</span>, <span class="bibl">S.<span class="title">Ph.</span>709</span>. </span><span class="sense"><span class="bld">II</span> kind of [[fish]] that went in pairs, [[Labrus cinaedus]], <span class="bibl">Epich.44</span>, Numen. ap. <span class="bibl">Ath.7.320e</span>: metaph., of [[lewd men]], <span class="bibl">Sophr.63</span>.</span>

|etymtx=-ου<br />Grammatical information: m.<br />Meaning: [[grain-eating]] (Od.)<br />Dialectal forms: Dor. <b class="b3">ἀλφηστάς</b> a fish [[Labrus cinaedus]] (Epich.); also calles [[κίναιδος]], cf. Strömberg Fischnamen 56; also Thompson, Fishes.<br />Origin: GR [a formation built with Greek elements]<br />Etymology: Clearly from [[ἄλφι]], in opposition to [[ὠμηστής]], plus <b class="b2">*h₁ed-</b> [[eat]], in the expression <b class="b3">ἀνέρες ἀλφησταί</b>. In antiquity, strangely enough, not understood, cf. <b class="b3">ἀλφηστῃ̃σι τοῖς εὑρετικοῖς καὶ συνετοῖς</b> H., which is mostly (correctly?) rendered by [[enterprising]] and derived from [[ἀλφάνω]] (which seems also doubtful; the gloss rather means [[intelligent]], and does not refer to [[ἀλφάνω]]). The <b class="b3">-ι-</b> lost for metrical reasons, Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 38.