λύκος: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=Grammatical information: m.<br />Meaning: [[wolf]] (Il.) ; often metaph., a. o. as name of a kind of daw (Arist.; v. l. <b class="b3">λύκιος</b>, cf. Thompson Birds s. v.), of a fish (Hikes. ap. Ath.; Strömberg Fischnamen 105), = [[hook]], [[sting]] (Plu., Poll.) etc.<br />Compounds: Compp., e.g. <b class="b3">Λυκό-(Ϝ)οργος</b> > <b class="b3">Λυκοῦργος</b> prop. "holding off the wolves " (<b class="b3">εἴργω</b>), <b class="b3">Λυκοσ-ούρα</b> town in Arcadia, after the contraction <b class="b3">Κυνοσ-ούρα</b> (Risch IF 59, 266 w. n. 1); <b class="b3">λυκ-αψός</b> (<b class="b3">λύκ-</b>) m., also <b class="b3">-ψίς</b> f., name of a venomous plant, <b class="b2">Echium italicum</b> (Nic., Dsc., Gal.), prop. "attacking wolves" (cf. Strömberg Wortstudien 100f. on <b class="b3">χορδαψός</b>), because of its poison as <b class="b3">λυκο-κτόνον</b> a. o. (Strömberg Pflanzennamen 66 u. 70 f.); but see s.v.<br />Derivatives: Feminines: <b class="b3">λύκαινα</b> <b class="b2">she-wolf</b> (Arist.; after <b class="b3">λέαινα</b> etc.) with <b class="b3">-αίνιον</b> (Poll.; of a woman); <b class="b3">λυκώ</b> name of the moon (PMag. Par.); diminut.: <b class="b3">λυκιδεύς</b> m. <b class="b2">younger wolf</b> (Sol. ap. Plu., Theoc.; Boßhardt 65), <b class="b3">λυκίσκος ἡ μη ἔχουσα ἀξονίσκον τροχαλία</b>, <b class="b3">τρῆμα δε μόνον</b> H.; also PN (Schwyzer 542). Further: <b class="b3">λυκέη</b>, <b class="b3">-ῆ</b> [[wolfsskin]] (K 459 a.o.), <b class="b3">λύκειος δορά</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (E. Rh. 208), substantiv. <b class="b3">λυκεία</b> f. (Plb. 6, 22, 3); <b class="b3">λυκώδης</b> <b class="b2">wolf-like</b> (Arist.), <b class="b3">λυκηδόν</b> <b class="b2">as a wolf</b> (A.), <b class="b3">λυκηθμός</b> <b class="b2">howling of wolves</b> (Anon. ap. Suid.; after <b class="b3">μυκηθμός</b>); <b class="b3">λυκόομαι</b> <b class="b2">be lacerated by wolves</b> (X.). On <b class="b3">λύσσα</b> s. v.<br />Origin: IE [Indo-European] [1178] <b class="b2">*u̯l̥kʷos</b> [[wolf]]<br />Etymology: With <b class="b3">λύκος</b> agrees formally exactly the Northgerm. name of the lynx, Swed. [[lō]] (PGm. <b class="b2">*luha-</b> from IE <b class="b2">*luko-</b>; s. 2. <b class="b3">λύγξ</b>). But of course one prefers to connect the widespread name of the wolf, which is preserved e. g. in Skt. <b class="b2">vŕ̥ka-</b>, Lith. <b class="b2">vil̃kas</b>, OCS [[vlьkъ]], Goth. [[wulfs]], Alb. [[ulk]]. With the resulting IE <b class="b2">*u̯l̥kʷos</b> can <b class="b3">λύκος</b> be combined if we assume, that the labiovelar coloured the preceding sonant with loss of the labialisation, cf. Schwyzer 298 and 352; s. also on <b class="b3">κύκλος</b>. A comparable problem gives Lat. [[lupus]]. Far remains however Arm. [[gayl]] (rather to Ir. [[gāel]] [[wolf]] with Fick 2, 259 a. o.). With the name of the wolf taboo-ideas may have played a part (Havers Sprachtabu 37ff.) which may have caused phonetic irregularities. Also for IE <b class="b2">*u̯l̥kʷos</b> such an origin is possible; the interpretation as [[lacerater]] (to <b class="b2">u̯el(k</b>)- [[lacerate]] not counting the labiovelar; s. Specht KZ 66, 26f.) remains hypothetic. - Details in WP. 1, 316f., Pok. 1178f., W.-Hofmann s. [[lupus]], Vasmer s. [[volk]]; also Benveniste BSL 44, 53.

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