ἑλάνη
λύχνον μεθ᾿ ἡμέραν ἅψας περιῄει λέγων “ἄνθρωπον ζητῶ” → He lit a lamp in broad daylight and said, as he went about, “I am looking for a human”
English (LSJ)
( ἑλένη Hsch.), ἡ,
A torch of reeds, Neanth.4J.; also, bundle of reeds, Nic.Fr.89.
German (Pape)
[Seite 789] ἡ, auch ἑλένη, Fackel, Ath. XV, 699 d 701 a (ἡ τῶν καλάμων δέσμη).
Greek (Liddell-Scott)
ἑλάνη: ἢ ἑλένη, ἡ, λαμπὰς ἐκ δέσμης καλάμων, Ἀθήν. 699D, 701A· πρβλ. ἕλη.
Spanish (DGE)
-ης, ἡ
1 antorcha hecha de cañas Neanth.Cyz.Iun.1, Amer.10.
2 haz de cañas Nic.Fr.89S.; cf. ἑλένη II.
Greek Monolingual
ἑλάνη και ἑλένη, η (Α)
1. λαμπάδα
2. δέσμη από καλάμια.
Frisk Etymological English
Grammatical information: f.
Meaning: torch from reed, reed-bundle (hell.);
Derivatives: also ἑλένη λαμπάς, δετή H., also twisted basket, with the sacred apparatus for a feast of Artemis Brauronia, the so-called Ἐλενηφόρια (Poll.); to this ἑλένιος ἀγγεῖον χωροῦν τέταρτον H.
Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]
Etymology: Uncertain the plant name ἑλένιον, s. Ἐλένη. To ἑλάνη cf. σκαπάνη, πλεκτάνη etc. (Chantr. Form. 199). (With ἑλένη cf ὠλένη, Aeol. φερενα; so prob. assimilation of ἑλάνη (s. Schwyzer 255f.). - For the meaning reed-bundle, twisted basket one connects ἑλάνη, -ένη with εἰλέω turn, wind (s. v.); the meaning torch would also allow this etymology (cf. δεταί λαμπάδες, δράγματα). But it is clearly wrong, as it is most probably a Pre-Greek word. (Not to εἵλη heat of the sun, (Solmsen Unt. 196).
