θάλλω

Forms

θᾰ́λλω (thállō) ^[1] Laconian σάλλω, Aeolic and Doric perfect τέθᾱλα.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰalh₁- (“to well up, sprout”), the reconstruction of the LIV, which Beekes doubts.^[4][5][1] The only certain cognates are in Albanian and Armenian: Albanian dal (“to sprout”), which may continue a present formed like θάλλω, and Old Armenian դալար (dalar, “green, fresh”), compared directly with θαλερός (thalerós).^[5][6][1] Clackson objects that the suffix is productive in Armenian and that the meaning may have developed separately.^[5]

Wiktionary adds Celtic words for “leaf” such as Welsh dalen, but Beekes thinks the Celtic material is best kept apart.^[1][5]

Ancient writers derived it from a verb “to feed”, since what is fed grows.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer has only the perfect participle τεθηλώς with present sense, “flourishing, rich”: a back rich with fat in the Iliad (9.208), and leafy trees in the Odyssey.^[3][8] The present θάλλω is first found in Hesiod's Works and Days and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

The verb is used first of plants and land: to sprout, flourish, bear fruit, be in bloom.^[2][3] From the Archaic poets on it is used of people, cities and states of life: Hesiod speaks of flourishing Peace, Pindar of thriving happiness, and Sophocles of a father who prospers.^[3][2] In tragedy it can also be said of evils that keep growing, as a disease that is always fresh in Sophocles' Philoctetes.^[3] The Hippocratic writers use it of a swollen spleen.^[3]

The Septuagint uses it of plants sprouting and of a fire that rages.^[9]

It survives as Modern Greek θάλλω (thállo), a learned word taken from the ancient one.^[10]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use the perfect participle for “flourishing, rich”.^[3][2]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod has the present tense and uses it of thriving peace.^[5][3][11]
• 7th century BC – Archilochus uses it of a person blooming in the skin.^[3][11]
• 5th century BC – Sophocles uses it of a disease that is always fresh.^[3][11]
• 5th century BC – The Hippocratic writers use it of a swollen spleen.^[3][11]
• Modern Greek – The verb survives as a learned word.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. Of plants, to sprout, grow, thrive; of land or a garden, to be in bloom, be fruitful.^[3][2]
2. In the perfect participle, rich, abundant: plentiful dew, a sumptuous feast.^[3]
3. Of persons, cities or conditions, to flourish, prosper; to be in the bloom of youth.^[3][2]
4. Of evils and diseases, to be fresh, keep growing.^[3]
5. (medicine) Of an organ, to swell.^[3]

Word family

• ἀειθαλής (aeithalḗs)
• ἀναθάλλω (anathállō)
• πανθαλής (panthalḗs)
• προθαλής (prothalḗs)
• ἔνθαλλος (énthallos)
• παραθάλλω (parathállō)

Related words

• θαλερός (thalerós)
• θαλλός (thallós)
• θηλέω (thēléō)
• θάλος (thálos)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
5. ^ a b c d e f 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
6. ^ Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
7. ^ Etygram: ancient etymologies of Greek words, CEPAM, Université Côte d'Azur, http://appsweb-cepam.unice.fr/etygram
8. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
9. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge