οἰωνός

Explanation debated. Because of the comparable formation in υἱωνός (huiōnós, “grandson”) from υἱός (huiós, “son”), it is probably best derived from a nominal basis. Therefore, it can be derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis (“bird”), like Latin avis (“bird”), Sanskrit वि (vi, “bird”), Avestan 𐬬𐬍𐬱 (vīš, “bird”) and also ἀετός (aetós, “eagle”). The initial ὀ- has been explained as a case of vowel assimilation since Schmidt, but this is unnecessary: one may assume an o-grade, as does Beekes, who departs from a nominative *h₂ow-i-ō(n) that was subsequently thematicized. By others, it has been combined with οἶμα (oîma, “spring, rush, swoop”), οἶστρος (oîstros, “gadfly; zeal”), οἰστός (oistós, “endurable”) and connected with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₁eys- (“to propel”), but this is doubtful. The connection with ᾠόν (ōión, “egg”) by Schmeja was defended by Peters.

οἰωνός • (oiōnós) m (genitive οἰωνοῦ); second declension

1. large bird, bird of prey
2. bird used in augury/ornithomancy
3. omen, token, presage

• Greek: οιωνός (oionós)

• “οἰωνός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “οἰωνός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “οἰωνός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• οἰωνός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• οἰωνός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “οἰωνός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • augury idem, page 52.
  • bird idem, page 79.
  • omen idem, page 572.
  • sign idem, page 774.
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN