ὀφθαλμός

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Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally derived from ὄψ (óps, eye) +‎ θάλαμος (thálamos, chamber), but note the usual ancient Greek word for eye is the similar ὤψ (ṓps), with a long /o/. Based on irregular κτ : πτ : φθ variation seen in variants like ὄκταλλος (óktallos) and ὀπτίλλος (optíllos), as well as the suffix -αλλ- (-all-) seen in ὄκταλλος (óktallos) being difficult to explain in Indo-European terms, Beekes takes the word to be of Pre-Greek origin, with proto-form *okʷt-alʸ-m-. The hypothetical Pre-Greek form's similarity to the Proto-Indo-European equivalent *h₃ókʷs (eye) is coincidental, according to Beekes; he additionally notes the contrast with the Homeric gloss ὄκκον (ókkon) given to ὀφθαλμόν (ophthalmón), which may be from the Indo-European root.[1]

Pronunciation

 

Noun

ὀφθᾰλμός (ophthalmósm (genitive ὀφθᾰλμοῦ); second declension[2][3]

  1. eye
    Synonym: ὤψ (ṓps)
    1. (in the singular) eye of a master or ruler
    2. eye of heaven
    3. that which is dearest or best; light, cheer, comfort
    4. (botany) eye, bud (such as the eye of a potato)
    5. (surgery) surgical bandage covering one or both eyes
    6. (architecture, in the dual) disks forming the centers of the volutes of an Ionic capital
    7. (Byzantine) a kind of stone
    8. (Byzantine) water inlet of a mill
  2. sight
    Synonyms: ὅρᾱσῐς (hórāsis), εἶδος (eîdos)
  3. understanding
    Synonym: σῠ́νεσῐς (súnesis)
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Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ὀφθαλμός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1133-4
  2. ^ ὀφθαλμός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ ὀφθαλμός in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Further reading