Traditionally derived from a Proto-Indo-European *gʰel(H)-ewH- (“tortoise, turtle-like animal”), and compared with Proto-Slavic *žely (“turtle, tortoise”); also related to χέλυς (khélus, “tortoise”).
However, Furnee and Chantraine consider the word a Pre-Greek borrowing based on the variant χέλυμνα (khélumna) (which yielded *χελυϝνα (*kheluwna) > χελῡ́νη (khelū́nē), χελύννα (khelúnna)) displaying μ/ϝ consonantal interchange, as well as the variant χελῡ́νη (khelū́nē) having -ῡ́ν- in its form, which is highly unusual if inherited from Proto-Indo-European.
Beekes favors the Pre-Greek derivation, and additionally separates the Slavic words etymologically, considering the Slavic to derive from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“green, yellow”). There doesn't seem to be a good reason to separate the Slavic terms, however; even if not inherited, there is a possibility that the Greek and Slavic terms were borrowed from the same substrate source, in addition to the *ǵʰelh₃- theory being rejected by linguists such as Schmeja.
Another theory by Mastrelli, based on work by Frisk, derives the word from χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip, jaw”), taking the tortoise as a "sharp-jawed creature".[1]
See also Ancient Greek χηλή (khēlḗ, “hoof; claw; jawbone”).
χελώνη • (khelṓnē) f (genitive χελώνης); first declension
Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | ἡ χελώνη hē khelṓnē |
τὼ χελώνᾱ tṑ khelṓnā |
αἱ χελῶναι hai khelônai | ||||||||||
Genitive | τῆς χελώνης tês khelṓnēs |
τοῖν χελώναιν toîn khelṓnain |
τῶν χελωνῶν tôn khelōnôn | ||||||||||
Dative | τῇ χελώνῃ têi khelṓnēi |
τοῖν χελώναιν toîn khelṓnain |
ταῖς χελώναις taîs khelṓnais | ||||||||||
Accusative | τὴν χελώνην tḕn khelṓnēn |
τὼ χελώνᾱ tṑ khelṓnā |
τᾱ̀ς χελώνᾱς tā̀s khelṓnās | ||||||||||
Vocative | χελώνη khelṓnē |
χελώνᾱ khelṓnā |
χελῶναι khelônai | ||||||||||
Notes: |
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