λῆναι

Frisk Etymological English

Grammatical information: f. pl.
Meaning: Bacchantes (Heraclit., Str.), acc. to H. (with ληναί) Arcad.;
Derivatives: Sg. Λήνα as PN (Ambracia, Aitolia); ληνίς Bakchantess (Eust., Suid.). Besides Λήναια n. pl. name of a feast in Athens and elsewhere with ληναιών, -ῶνος m. monthname in Ionia (Hes. Op. 504 [cf. Wackernagel Unt. 179 and v. Wilamowitz Glaube 2, 61], inscr.), Λήναιον n. name of a region dedicated to Dionysos in Athens (Ar., Pl.), ληναϊκός belonging to the Lenaians (hell.), ληναΐτης id. (Ar.; Redard 113); ληναΐζω celebrate the Lenaians (Heraclit.); PN Ληναῖος, Ληναΐς. - Ληνεύς (Myconos) and Ληναῖος (D.S.) surname of Dionysos, ληνεύουσι βακχεύουσιν H.
Origin: XX [etym. unknown]
Etymology: If λῆναι in H. and as superscript to Theoc. 26 are a real dialectforms, the word cannot belong to ληνός winepress, what was otherwise the most obvious(?). A better explanation however has not been found. V. Wilamowitz Glaube 2, 63 suspects Lydian origin. The IE explanation by Jacobsohn KZ 42, 264 n. 1 (from *λασ-ν-, to λάστη, λιλαίομαι), on itself not very probable, cannot be combined with Arc. Dor. λῆναι. - On λῆναι etc. s. also Nilsson Gr. Rel. 1, 575 f.