κλυτός

Forms

κλῠτός (klutós) m (feminine κλῠτή, neuter κλῠτόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *klutós,^[1] inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlutós (“heard”), the old verbal adjective of the root Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”), which also gave κλύω (klúō, “to hear”).^[2][1] “Heard of” became “famous”.^[3][2]

The same formation is found in Latin inclutus (“famous”) and Old Irish cloth (“fame”).^[2] Germanic words such as Old High German hlūt (“loud”) continue a full grade *ḱlew-tó-.^[2] κλειτός (kleitós, “famous”) is a related form with another ablaut grade, from older *κλεϝετός (*klewetós).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from the Iliad on as an epithet of gods and heroes (Poseidon, Hephaestus, Achilles), of famous places such as Argos, and of splendid things such as weapons, sheep and works of craft.^[3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word belonged to epic and lyric poetry: Hesiod, Pindar, Bacchylides and the tragedians use it of gods, heroes, cities and their glory.^[6][4][7] Beside “famous” it meant “conferring glory” (of gifts, spoils and songs) and “splendid” (of armour, palaces, the earth or the sky), and once in Aeschylus it is used of an Erinys as “infamous”.^[6] It was productive in poetic compounds, as first element in κλυτόπωλος (klutópōlos) “with famous foals”, an epithet of Hades, and as second element in ἀγακλυτός (agaklutós) and περικλυτός (periklutós).^[2][4] Hellenistic poets such as Apollonius of Rhodes and Moschus still used it.^[6] The Etymologicum Magnum derives it from κλύω (klúō) in the sense “to glorify”.^[8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it of gods, heroes, places and fine things.^[3][4]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod uses it as an epithet of gods.^[4][6][9]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it of gods and of things given to them or asked of them.^[7][9]
• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus applies it to an Erinys in the sense “infamous”.^[6][9]
• 5th century BC – Sophocles calls Italy “glorious”.^[4][9]
• 3rd century BC – Apollonius of Rhodes keeps it in epic.^[6][9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Famous, renowned, glorious, of gods, heroes, peoples and places.^[4][6][3]
2. Conferring glory: of gifts, spoils, honours and songs of praise.^[6]
3. Splendid, fine: of armour, palaces, the earth or the sky, and of sheep and goats.^[6][3]
4. (once, Aeschylus) Infamous, of an Erinys.^[6]

Word family

• ἀγακλυτός (agaklutós)
• δουρικλυτός (douriklutós)
• κλυτόμητις (klutómētis)
• κλυτόπωλος (klutópōlos)
• κλυτοτέχνης (klutotékhnēs)
• ὀνομάκλυτος (onomáklutos)
• περικλυτός (periklutós)
• ἄκλυτος (áklutos)

Related words

• κλύω (klúō)
• κλέος (kléos)
• κλειτός (kleitós)
• Latin inclutus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
4. ^ a b c d e f g Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, tr. Robert P. Keep, New York: Harper and Brothers
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 Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: De Gruyter
8. ^ Gaisford, Thomas, ed. (1848), Etymologicum Magnum, Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge