δριμύς

Forms

δρῑμῠ́ς (drīmús) m (feminine δρῑμεῖᾰ, neuter δρῑμῠ́); first/third declension^[1]

Etymology

It has no accepted etymology.^[2] Beekes thinks it may be Pre-Greek, since the old explanation does not convince him.^[2][1] That explanation, defended by Frisk and the DGE, takes it as originally “tearing, cutting”, from *dris-mu-, and compares Latvian drīsme (“crack, scratch”),^[3][4] and Frisk thought a further link with δέρω (dérō) “to flay” quite possible.^[3][4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Iliad it describes the piercing dart of pain in childbirth, a fierce battle and bitter anger.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

From sharp pain and fierce feelings it passed to things that sting the senses: acrid smoke in Aristophanes, and sharp, pungent tastes and smells, as of radish, in Xenophon, Plato and Aristotle, where it is the opposite of “sweet”.^[5][6] The Hippocratic writers used it of pungent drugs.^[5] Of people it meant fierce and harsh, and also keen-witted and shrewd.^[6]

It survives as a learned word, Modern Greek δριμύς (drimýs), of a biting cold or winter, a pungent smell, and harsh criticism.^[7][8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of a dart, of pain, of battle and of anger.^[5][6]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod uses it of battle and of grief.^[5][6]
• 5th century BC – Hippocratic writers use it of pungent drugs.^[5][4]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it of acrid smoke and Xenophon of the taste of radish.^[5][4]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of tastes and smells.^[5][4]
• Modern Greek – It survives as a learned word, Modern Greek δριμύς (drimýs).^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Piercing, sharp, keen, of a weapon or a pain.^[5][6]
2. Fierce, bitter, of battle, anger or grief.^[6][5]
3. Acrid, pungent, of smoke, tastes and smells.^[5][6]
4. Fierce, harsh, grim, of persons or an avenging spirit.^[6]
5. Shrewd, sharp-witted.^[6]

Word family

• δριμύτης (drimútēs)
• δριμύλος (drimúlos)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
8. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr