χελώνη

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Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

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).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

χελώνη (khelṓnēf (genitive χελώνης); first declension

  1. tortoise

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Greek: χελώνα f (chelóna, tortoise, turtle)
  • Spanish: quelonio
  • Translingual: Chelonia, Chelonia

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “χελῡ́νη 2 (> DER > With a different stem χελώνη)”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1623-4

Further reading