μορμώ: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=-οῦς<br />Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: [[bogey]], [[spectre]], also personified and as interjection (Erinn. [?], Ar., X., Theoc., Luc.);<br />Other forms: also <b class="b3">-όνος</b>, <b class="b3">-όνα</b> etc. (Schwyzer 479)<br />Derivatives: <b class="b3">μορμωτός</b> [[frightful]] (Lyc.); <b class="b3">μορμ-ύσσομαι</b> [[frighten]] (Call.; for <b class="b3">μαρμολύττομαι</b> metri causa?, Debrunner IF 21, 243), <b class="b3">μορμύξαν-τες</b> (Phryg. IVp), also <b class="b3">μορμύνει</b> and <b class="b3">μορμύρει δεινοποιεῖ</b> H. Further the nouns <b class="b3">μόρμορος</b> and <b class="b3">μύρμος φόβος</b>, <b class="b3">μόρμη χαλεπή</b>, <b class="b3">ἐκπληκτική</b> H. PN <b class="b3">Μόρμυθος</b> (like <b class="b3">Γοργώ</b> : <b class="b3">Γόργυθος</b>, Leumann Hom. Wörter 155 n. 129); here also ther PN <b class="b3">Μυρμιδόνες</b> ? -- Enlarged verbform <b class="b3">μορμολύττομαι</b> = <b class="b3">μορμύσσομαι</b> (Ar., Pl.. X., Ph.), <b class="b3">μορμολυξάμενος</b> (Gal.) with <b class="b3">μορμολύκ-η</b>, Dor. <b class="b3">-α</b> f. (Sophr. 9, Str.), <b class="b3">-ειον</b> (<b class="b3">-εῖον</b>) n. (Ar., Pl. u.a.) = <b class="b3">μορμώ</b>; also <b class="b3">μορμορύζω</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (Phot.).<br />Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]<br />Etymology: Because of <b class="b3">μύρμηξ</b>: Lat. [[formīca]] one might want to connect, <b class="b3">μορμ-ώ</b> through an analogous dissimilation with Lat. <b class="b2">form-īdō</b> [[ghost]]. Further ucertain; prob. like <b class="b3">Γοργώ</b> (s. <b class="b3">γοργός</b>) a reduplicated fornation, which was used originally as terrorizing call (of childrens language?, cognate with <b class="b3">μορμύρω</b> etc. ? WP. 2, 308). The by-forms <b class="b3">Μομβρώ</b>, <b class="b3">Μομμώ</b> (H.) show the popular character. From the interjection the as demon interpreted <b class="b3">Μορμώ</b> may have arisen, from there the appellative. On <b class="b3">Μορμώ</b> in the Middle Ages and in recent times Wiener Roman. Forsch. 35, 943 ff. (lingu. unsatistactory, s. Kretschmer Glotta 10, 234 f.). -- Beside <b class="b3">μορμώ</b> there was not only <b class="b3">μορμύσσομαι</b>, <b class="b3">-ύνει</b>, <b class="b3">-ύρει</b>, but also <b class="b3">μορμο-λύττομαι</b>, <b class="b3">-λύκη</b>, <b class="b3">-λύκειον</b>; on the expressive <b class="b3">λ-</b>enlargement cf. <b class="b3">πομφόλυξ</b>, <b class="b3">πομφο-λύξαι</b> (: <b class="b3">πομφός</b>), <b class="b3">βδελύττομαι</b> (beside <b class="b3">βδελυρός</b> : <b class="b3">βδέω</b>). Dissimilation from <b class="b3">*μορμορύττομαι</b> (cf. <b class="b3">μόρμορος</b>; Schwyzer 258) is also imaginable. The nouns <b class="b3">μορμολύκη</b>, <b class="b3">-ειον</b> are rather backfomations. - A connection with Lat. <b class="b2">form-ido</b> etc. seems not obious. The words may well be Pre-Greek.

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