ῥέθος: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=Grammatical information: n.<br />Meaning: [[face]], [[countenance]] (S. Ant. 529, E. HF 1205 [both anap.], Theoc. 29, 16, Lyc. 1137), [[body]] (Lyc. 173), meaning un<b class="b3">χερταιν</b> (Sapph. 22, 3); pl. [[faces]] (A. R. 2, 68), [[limb]] (Theoc. 23, 39); older meaning unclear (<b class="b3">ἐκ ῥεθέων Π</b> 856 = Χ 362, Χ 68); cf. <b class="b3">ῥεθέων σπλάγχνων</b>, <b class="b3">μελῶν</b>, <b class="b3">σωμάτων</b> H.; sch. on Χ 68 proposes [[face]], [[mouth]], also [[nostrils]], the last of which is preferred by Leumann Hom. Wörter 218ff. (where older lit.) because of the plur. Cf. Snell, Entdeckung des Geistes 24-6, who demonstratess the transition from the literal meaning (a bodypart) to [[body]].<br />Compounds: As 1. member in Aeol. <b class="b3">ῥεθο-μαλίδας</b>, after sch. on Χ 68 = <b class="b3">εὑπροσώπους</b>; litt. "with face-apples". As the meaning [[face]], [[countenance]], by gramm. given as Aeolic, is certain, we have to start from this in explaining the word. Both an older ep. meaning [[mouth]] and [[figure]], [[body]] seems possible; cf. e.g. Lat. [[ōs]] [[mouth]], [[face]], [[faciēs]] [[figure]], [[face]]; the plur. could be after <b class="b3">μέλεα</b>, <b class="b3">στήθεα</b>, <b class="b3">στέρνα</b>, <b class="b3">νῶτα</b> a.o. On the meaning in Hom. cf. Vivante Arch. glottol. it. 40, 41 f. -- An orig. mening <b class="b2">nostril(s)</b> fits excellently, and the transition to [[face]] or [[body]] is unproblematic.<br />Origin: XX [etym. unknown]<br />Etymology: No convincing etymology. If we can trust the byform <b class="b3">ῥόθος</b> in EM 701, 34, the word must be IE and the <b class="b3">θ</b> must belong to the root [but this is doubtful]. Against connection with Skt. <b class="b2">várdhati</b> [[grow]] (to which a.o. Slav., e.g. Russ. [[rod]] [[lineage]], [[birh]], Czech. <b class="b2">ú-roda</b> [[figure]], [[beauty]]) as *figure (= 'Wuchs'), Frisk IF 49, 101 ff., tells, as Leumann l.c. rightly remarks, the lack of the <b class="b3">Ϝ-</b> (<b class="b3">β-</b>) in Aeol. <b class="b3">ῥέθος</b>. Diff. Fraenkel Glotta 32, 31 ff. (agreeing Treu Von Homer zur Lyrik 190 n. 4): to <b class="b3">ῥίς</b>, <b class="b3">ῥέω</b>; neither morpholog. nor semant. convincing. -- An orig. mening <b class="b2">nostril(s)</b> fits excellently, and the transition to [[face]] or [[body]] is unproblematic.

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