πρέσβυς: Difference between revisions

|etymtx=Grammatical information: m.<br />Meaning: [[the old]], [[aged one]] (poet. Pi., trag.), [[president]] (Sparta); pl. [[πρέσβεις]] most [[ambassador]], [[messenger]] (Att., Dor. inscr.); besides <b class="b3">πρεσβ-ῆες</b> (Hes. Sc. 245), <b class="b3">-εῦσιν</b> (Lyc.), du. <b class="b3">-ῆ</b> (Att.); cf. below on [[πρεσβεύω]].<br />Other forms: Gen. (rare) <b class="b3">-εως</b>, <b class="b3">-εος</b>, acc. <b class="b3">-υν</b>, voc. <b class="b3">-υ</b>.<br />Compounds: As 1. member a.o. in <b class="b3">πρεσβυ-γενής</b> [[first-born]] (A 249 a.o.).<br />Derivatives: 1. Comp. forms: <b class="b3">πρεσβύ-τερος</b> (with <b class="b3">-τέριον</b> [[council of elders]] [N.T.]), <b class="b3">-τατος</b> <b class="b2">old, venerable, the eldest, most venerable</b> (Il.); also [[πρέσβιστος]] [[most venerable]] (h. Hom., A., S. a.o.) after [[κράτιστος]], [[κύδιστος]], with the cross <b class="b3">πρεσβίστ-ατος</b> (Nic.). 2. Feminins: [[πρέσβα]] ([[θεά]]) [[the venerable]], of Hera a.o. (ep. Il.), after [[πότνα]] ([[θεά]])?; [[πρέσβεα]] ([[μήτηρ]]; poet. inscr. from Caria II-Ia), metr. cond.; [[πρέσβειρα]] ([[θεῶν]] a.o.; h. Ven. etc.), after [[πίειρα]], <b class="b3">-άνειρα</b> a.o.; [[πρεσβηΐς]] ([[τιμή]] h.Hom.), after [[βασιληΐς]] a.o., cf. [[πρεσβῆες]] above. 3. <b class="b3">πρεσβ-ήϊον</b> n. [[gift of honour]] (Θ 289), <b class="b3">-εῖον</b> <b class="b2">privilege (of age)</b> (Att., hell.). 4. <b class="b3">-εία</b> f. <b class="b2">right, privilege (of age)</b> (A., Pl.), usu. [[embassy]] (Att.; to [[πρεσβεύω]]). 5. [[πρεσβύτης]] m. [[the old]], [[aged one]], enlargement of [[πρέσβυς]] after [[πολίτης]] a.o. (not with Fraenkel Glotta 34, 301 ff. innovation to [[πρεσβῦτις]]; IA.) with f. <b class="b3">-ῦτις</b>, adj. <b class="b3">-υτικός</b> [[senile]] (Att. etc.). 6. [[πρεσβύτης]], <b class="b3">-ητος</b> f., Dor. <b class="b3">-τας</b>. <b class="b3">-τατος</b> <b class="b2">(higher) age</b> (inscr. Messene Ia [completed] a.o.; after [[νεότης]]). 7. [[πρέσβις]] f. [[age]], [[rank]], only in <b class="b3">κατὰ πρέσβιν</b> (h. Merc., Pl. a.o.); after <b class="b3">κατὰ τάξιν</b> a.o. 8. [[πρέσβος]] n. <b class="b2">(object of) veneration</b>, after [[κῦδος]], [[κράτος]] a.o. 9. <b class="b3">πρεσβ-εύω</b> <b class="b2">to be the eldest, to have precedence, to be ambassador</b>, trans. <b class="b2">to attend, venerate like a πρέσβυς</b>, midd. [[to send ambassadors]], also w. <b class="b3">παρα-</b>, <b class="b3">συν-</b>, <b class="b3">ἀπο-</b> a.o., with <b class="b3">-ευτής</b> m. [[ambassador]], [[messenger]] (Att.; as singulative to [[πρέσβεις]]). <b class="b3">-ευτικός</b>, <b class="b3">-εύτειρα</b>, <b class="b3">-ευτεύω</b>, <b class="b3">-ευμα</b>, <b class="b3">-ευσις</b>; partly also [[πρεσβεία]] (s. ab. 4) and, as backformation, [[πρεσβεῦσιν]] dat. pl. (Lyc.; s. ab.; cf. Bosshardt 63). -- 10. Shortnames like [[Πρέσβων]] (to [[πρέσβειρα]] after [[πέπειρα]] : [[πέπων]]? Fraenkel KZ 43, 216 n.2). [[Πρέσβος]] a.o., s. Bechtel Hist. Personennamen 385. -- On the diff. writings and formations s. Lejeune Mém. de phil. myc. 239ff.<br />Origin: IE [Indo-European] [812] <b class="b2">*pres-gʷeu-</b> [[who goes in front]]<br />Etymology: Beside the above forms stand in Doric, esp. in Crete, and in Northwestgr. several byforms with [[γ]] for [[β]] and changing initial syllable: [[πρεῖγυς]], [[πρείγιστος]] with comp. [[πρείγων]], <b class="b3">πρειγ-εύω</b> with <b class="b3">-ευτάς</b>, <b class="b3">-ήϊα</b>, <b class="b3">-εία</b>; also [[πρείγα]] f. [[council of elders]] (Locris); [[πρεσγευτάς]], <b class="b3">πρεγγ-</b>; later [[πρήγιστος]] with (Cos) <b class="b3">-ιστεύω</b>; [[πρεσγέα]] = [[πρεσβεία]] (Argos), <b class="b3">πρισγε(ι)ες</b> (Boeot.); also <b class="b3">σπέργυς πρέσβυς</b> and <b class="b3">πέργουν πρέσβεις</b> H. Common basis prob. <b class="b3">πρεσγ-</b> (with voiced [[σ]]; cf. [[πρεζβευτάς]] Delphi); from there through phonetical, in detail uncertain developments the other forms, s. Schwyzer 276, Seiler Steigerungsformen 59, Thumb-Kieckers 158, Kapsomenos Glotta 40, 46ff., Masson Glotta 41, 65ff., Lejeune l.c. (with rejection of Mycenaean interpretations). -- From the interchange [[β]] : [[γ]] follows an orig. IE labiovelar [[gʷ]]; the preceding syllable, prob. to be taken as the 1. member of a compound, contains as is generally assumed a frozen adverb [[πρές]] [[in front]] (s. [[πρός]]). The final syllable resp. the final member is debated. By Bezzenberger BB 4, 345, Bloomfield AmJPh 29, 79 ff. compared with Skt. <b class="b2">puro-gavá-</b> [[leader]], of which the 2. member is derived both from <b class="b2">gaúḥ</b> = [[βοῦς]] (so prop. *"leading bull"), as, and on better grounds, from a word for [[go]] (in [[βαίνω]], [[βῆναι]] resp. Skt. <b class="b2">jávate</b> [[run]]) (so prop. *"who goes in fromt"). Thus a.o. Fraenkel Glotta 32, 17 u. 34, 301 ff., who wants to explain also Lith. <b class="b2">žmogùs</b> [[man]] in this way (prop. "going on earth"; s. also Wb. s.v. w. lit.); on the Skt. word esp Mayrhofer s. <b class="b2">puráḥ</b>. -- Very temptong is the connection with Arm. <b class="b2">erēc̣</b>, gen. <b class="b2">eric̣u</b> [[elder]], [[priest]] (Meillet in Lejeune op. cit. 240 n. 9), of which the [[ē]] prob. continues a diphthong [[ei]] or [[oi]] (IE <b class="b2">*preisgʷu-</b>?) and usu. connected with Lat. [[prīscus]]. Cf. on [[μεσσηγύς]]: the second member continues a root <b class="b2">*gʷeu-</b>, a variant of <b class="b2">*gʷem-</b>.