σκίρον: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=Grammatical information: n.<br />Meaning: des. of a white parasol or canopy, which was carried at processions from the aropolis to a place called <b class="b3">Σκῖρον</b> (<b class="b3">Σκίρον</b>) (later suburb of Athens) on the holy road to Eleusis in honour of Athena (Skiras) and other goddesses and gods (Lysimachid., sch. Ar. Ec. 18); pl. <b class="b3">Σκίρα</b> name of a women's feast in honour of Demeter, Core and Athena Polias (Ar., inscr. a. o.).<br />Compounds: As 1. in <b class="b3">Σκιρο-φόρια</b> n. pl. <b class="b2">id.</b> (H., Phot., Suid.); from this <b class="b3">Σκιροφοριών</b>, <b class="b3">-ῶνος</b> m. Att. month-name (Juni-Juli; Antipho, inscr. etc.).<br />Origin: XX [etym. unknown]<br />Etymology: Not certainly explained. Since long (s. Curtius 168) connected with <b class="b3">σκι</b>ά, semant. or course unproblematic. It must be then a very old, from <b class="b3">σκιά</b> independent formation, which formally agrees with Alb. [[hir]] <b class="b2">grace of God</b> (Jokl Untersuchungen 67 after Bugge) and except for the vowel-length with a Germ. adj. for [[clear]], [[gleaming]], [[bright]], e.g. Goth. [[skeirs]], OWNo. [[skīrr]], NHG [[schier]] (to this further with other suffixes NHG [[Schemen]] [[silhouette]], MHG [[scheim]] [[gleam]], [[shade]], NHG [[scheinen]] etc. etc.), basic meaning <b class="b2">(subdued) shine, reflex</b> (WP. 2, 535f., Pok. 917f.); cf. on <b class="b3">σκιά</b>. -- The interpretation of <b class="b3">σκίρον</b> as [[parasol]] is however by Deubner Att. Feste 40ff. rejected as a late learned construction. He sees in the <b class="b3">σκίρα</b> (orig. meaning unknown) different objects (pigs, representations of phalluses etc.), which at the relevant feast were thrown as sacrificial gifts in subterranean caverns, the soc. <b class="b3">μέγαρα</b>, and later at the Thesmophoria were brought up again (s. also Nilsson Gr. Rel. 12, 119 a. 469); a in several respects doubtful hypothesis.

}}