ἀκόνιτον

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Derived from ᾰ̓κόνῑτος (ăkónītos, “without struggle, without force or fight”, literally “without dust”). This originates from the privative prefix ἀ- (a-, “without”) and the verb κονίω (koníō, “to roll into the dust, to sprinkle or cover with dust”), or metaphorically "to prepare for combat." The root word κόνις (kónis) refers to "dust."

While it may be tempting to interpret akónītos as "invincible" due to its deadly nature, this would be incorrect. A more accurate interpretation suggests that the herb renders one powerless, unable to fight back, leading to a metaphorical 'biting of the dust' at the very spot where it is encountered. This explanation aligns with the semantic attributes uniquely associated with this phytonym.

Compare further the semantics of φθορά (phthorá) in Greek and phthora in Latin, which carry meanings of "destruction," "death," "passing out of existence," "loss," "damage," and even "seduction," "rape," "miscarriage," or "abortion." These terms denote the same species in different languages, such as modern Spanish tuera, and refer to other poisonous plants in the ranunculaceous family. The form antiphthora and variations like antithora and anthora are similarly formed with privative meanings.

Further, terms like κώνειον (kṓneion, “hemlock”) and κονή (konḗ, “hemlock”) are derived in a similar manner, often referring to plants notorious for their lethal properties, and are frequently confused in regions where neither is native.

ᾰ̓κόνῑτον • (ăkónīton) n (genitive ᾰ̓κονῑ́του); second declension

1. leopard's bane, Aconitum anthora
2. wolf's bane, Aconitum napellus

• → Classical Syriac: ܝܐܩܢܝܛܘܢ (yʔqnyṭwn), ܩܘܢܝܛܘܢ (qwnyṭwn)
• → Latin: aconītum (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Armenian: ակոնիտոն (akoniton), ակոնիտովն (akonitovn), անկոնիտովն (ankonitovn)
• → Old Georgian: აკონიტონი (aḳoniṭoni)

• “ἀκόνιτον”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀκόνιτον”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἀκόνιτον in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀκόνιτον in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• 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, pages 53–54, implying Pre-Greek origin
• Furnée, Edzard Johan (1972) Die wichtigsten konsonantischen Erscheinungen des Vorgriechischen (Janua linguarum. Series practica; 150) (in German), The Hague and Paris: Mouton, page 121, speculates about connection with κῶνος (kônos, “cone”) as in κονίλη (konílē); specifically claims κονή (konḗ, “hemlock”) unrelated to κονή (konḗ, “murder”)