ἕδνα

Frisk Etymological English

Grammatical information: n. pl.
Meaning: bride-gift (Il.; on the meaning Köstler WienAkAnz. 81 [1944] 6ff., Theiler Mus. Helv. 7, 114 w. lit.).
Other forms: hom. also ἔεδνα (s. below), rarely sg. ἕδνον (Pi., Call.)
Compounds: ἀνά-εδνος withou ἕ. (Il.; on the prefix Schwyzer 432, Chantr. Gramm. hom. 1, 182).
Derivatives: Also ἄεδνον ἄφερνον η πολύφερνον H.; ἑδνο-φορέω bring bride-gifts (Eust.). - Old denomin. ἑδνόομαι (ἐεδν-), -όω give ἕ. to one's daughter (β 53) with ἐεδνωτής brides father (Ν 382; cf. Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 25; 2, 206). - Several glosses in Hesych: ἕδνιος χιτών ὅν πρῶτον ἡ νύμφη τῳ̃ νυμφίῳ δίδωσιν; ἑδνάς ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἕδνων ἐδητύς, ἑδνεύειν ἐνεχυράζειν.
Origin: IE [Indo-European] [1115] *h₁u̯ed- bride-price.
Etymology: With ἕδνα, ἕδνον from IE *u̯ed-no- (on the aspir. Schwyzer 227) compare Slavic and a Westgermanic word for bride-price: e. g. ORuss. věno, from *u̯ed-no- acc. to Winter-Kortlandt; not better to Lat. vēnum [[[dare]]]; see. Vasmer Russ. et. Wb. s. véno [1, 182f.]; OE. weotuma, OHG widomo m., from PGerm. *wet-man-, IE *u̯ed-mon-; (the Gr.-Slav. no-suffix may be from -mno-, themat. of -mon-). - Uncertain Alb. vigjë present, in the form of edibles, for a wedding etc. (< *u̯ed-l- ?). - This old word for bride-price is generally derived from a verb (take home), marry (of the man), which is seen in Lith. vedù, OCS vedo (with -dh because of the short vowel), OIr. fedid. - Skt. vadhū́- bride, young woman, daughter-in-law, which one would not like to separate from the words discussed, is because of the dh incompatible with ἕδνα or Germ. weotuma. - It is clear that ἕδν- is the younger, ἔεδν- the older form. The prothesis (from *h₁-) must be old, as it cannot be secondary and is unnecessary.