μηχανή: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: <b class="b2">means, tool, contrivance, apparatus, machine, device</b> (IA, Dor.).<br />Other forms: Dor. <b class="b3">μαχανά</b>.<br />Compounds: Compp., e.g. <b class="b3">μηχανο-ποιός</b> <b class="b2">machine-builder, engineer, machinist</b> (Att.), <b class="b3">ἀ-μήχανος</b> (Dor. <b class="b3">-ά-</b>) <b class="b2">without means etc., helpless; who cannot be helped with means, irresistible, impossible</b> (Il.; partly associated with <b class="b3">μηχανάομαι</b>) with <b class="b3">ἀμηχαν-ία</b>, <b class="b3">-ίη</b> (ι 295), <b class="b3">-έω</b> (Ion.).<br />Derivatives: 1. Uncertain <b class="b3">Μαχα-νεύς</b> surn. of Zeus (Argos, Tanagra, Cos, since Va; s.v. Wilamowitz Glaube 2, 172), also name of a month (Corcyra), <b class="b3">Μαχανεῖος</b> name of a month (Chalcedon); <b class="b3">Μαχαν-ίς</b> surn. of Athena (Cos), <b class="b3">-ῖτις</b> surn. of Aphrodite and Athena (Megalopolis). -- 2. <b class="b3">μηχανιώτης</b> [[contriver]], of Hermes (h. Merc. 436; after <b class="b3">ἀγγελι-ώτης</b> a.o., Zumbach Neuerungen 7). -- 3. <b class="b3">μηχανάριος</b> [[machinist]] (pap.). -- 4. <b class="b3">μηχαν-όεις</b> <b class="b2">full of means, inventive</b> (S.), <b class="b3">-ικός</b> <b class="b2">id., belonging to machines, mechanical</b>, subst. [[machinebuilder]] (X., Arist.; Chantraine Études 101 a. 141). -- 5. <b class="b3">μηχάνωμα</b> (Dor. <b class="b3">μα-</b>) n. [[apparatus]], [[crane]] (Thphr., Delphi; enlarged from <b class="b3">μηχανη</b>, Chantraine Form. 187). -- 6. Denomin. <b class="b3">μηχανάομαι</b> (<b class="b3">-άω</b>), aor. <b class="b3">μηχανήσασθαι</b> etc., also with prefix, e.g. <b class="b3">ἐπι-</b>, <b class="b3">ἀντι-</b>, <b class="b3">προσ-</b>, <b class="b2">realize, construct, manufacture artificially, devise (with ruse)</b> (Il.); from this <b class="b3">μηχάν-ημα</b> <b class="b2">invention, apparatus, mechanical device</b> (Hp., D., trag.), <b class="b3">-ησις</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (Hp., Plb. ), <b class="b3">-ητής</b> m. <b class="b2">inventor of warmaschines</b> (Sch.), <b class="b3">-ητικός</b> [[inventive]] (X.). -- Besides <b class="b3">μῆχαρ</b> n. indecl. [[means]], [[tool]] (A., Lyc.), <b class="b3">μῆχος</b> (Dor. <b class="b3">μᾶ-</b>) n. <b class="b2">id.</b> (Il., also Hdt.), both as opposed to <b class="b3">μηχανή</b> dying words without compp. a. abl.<br />Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]<br />Etymology: Not with Frisk from a heteroclitic <b class="b3">*μᾶχαρ</b>, <b class="b3">*μάχαν-ος</b>, from which with added <b class="b2">-ā</b> (cf. Schwyzer 459) the almost absolute reigning <b class="b3">μαχαν-ά</b>, <b class="b3">μηχαν-ή</b> arose; accent after the verbal nouna (<b class="b3">φυλακ-ή</b>, <b class="b3">κομιδ-ή</b> etc.). Beside the <b class="b2">r-n-</b>stem as so often an [[s]] -stem, <b class="b3">μῆχος</b>. -- As cognate are usually with Osthoff PBBeitr. 15, 211 ff. (after Bopp, Pott a.o.) considered some short-vowel verbal forms with accompanying nouns in Germanic and Slavic: Germ., e.g. Goth. [[mag]] <b class="b2">can, is able, mag</b>, Slav., e.g. OCS <b class="b2">mogǫ</b>, [[mošti]], Russ. <b class="b2">mogú</b>, [[močь]] <b class="b2">can, be able</b> with Goth. [[mahts]] [[power]], [[Macht]] etc. = OCS [[moštь]], Russ. [[močь]] <b class="b2">id.</b>. Beside this <b class="b2">ti-</b>derivation stands in Germ. a <b class="b2">n-</b>formation in OHG [[magan]], [[megin]], OWNo. [[magn]], [[megin]] [[power]], [[might]], which may belong directly to <b class="b3">μηχανή</b>. Here also (with v. Windekens Lex. etym.) Toch. A [[mokats]] [[mighty]] (like <b class="b2">tsop-ats</b> [[great]] etc.). -- Diff. Prellwitz (as alternative), Fraenkel Lexis 2, 170 a. Wb. s.v.: to Lith. <b class="b2">móku</b>, <b class="b2">mokė́ti</b> [[can]], [[understand]], [[pay]] assuming a IE tenuis asp. [[kʰ]]; [[mag]], <b class="b2">mogǫ</b> etc. are then classified diff. (to Lith. <b class="b2">magù</b>, <b class="b2">-ė́ti</b> <b class="b2">please, be pleasant</b>, <b class="b2">mė́gstu</b>, <b class="b2">mė́gti</b> [[love]], [[like]] etc.). To connect the last mentioned Lith. words also with <b class="b3">μηχανή</b> (W.-Hofmann s. [[mactus]], Vasmer s. <b class="b2">mogú</b>) is, apart from the meaning, doubtful already because of the ablaut [[ē]] : [[ā]] one would have to assume. In 1998, 10f [MKNAW Afd. Lett. 61, 9] I pointed out that in Slavic a laryngeal cannot have been vocalized; so the Germ. and Slavic forms cannot go back to <b class="b2">*mh₂gh-</b>. The Greek word then remains isolated. The suffix <b class="b3">-αν-</b> is typical for Pre-Greek words; note still that Greek has no forms with <b class="b3">*μαχ-</b>. -- From Dor. <b class="b3">μαχανά</b> Lat. [[māchina]], from <b class="b3">μηχανή</b> Pashto [[mēčan]] [[handmill]] (Morgenstierne Acta Or. 7, 200; 18, 143); on the meaning cf. VLat. [[māchina]] also [[millstone]], [[handmill]], Alb. (through Illyrian) <b class="b2">mókërë</b> [[millstone]]. -- WP. 2, 227, Pok. 695; further W.-Hofmann, Vasmer and Fraenkel (s. above).

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