λῆρος

Forms

λῆρος (lêros) m (genitive λήρου); second declension^[1]

Etymology

Beekes analyses it as a formation with the suffix -ρος (-ros), which allows a connection with a widespread group of words with Proto-Indo-European *lā-, such as Lithuanian lóti (“to bark”) and Latin lāmenta (“wailing”); the root may be onomatopoeic, or be reconstructed as Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (“to howl”).^[2] Wiktionary takes it to be inherited from Proto-Hellenic *lāros, from that expressive root, and cognate with Latin lātrō (“to bark”) and λάσκω (láskō, “to crash, cry”).^[1] LSJ suggests instead that it was derived from the name of a golden ornament (see Usage notes), as if the sense were “showy trash”, but Beekes finds that improbable.^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Aristophanes, as foolish talk and as worthless show.^[4][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In Aristophanes it is both “nonsense” and showy, useless stuff, and Spicq sees the poet playing on the two senses, idle chatter and women's cheap trinkets, when he calls tragedy “tragic trumpery”.^[3][6] Plato, the orators, Menander and Aristotle use it of foolish notions and of things of no worth: for Aristotle, some held money to be mere trash, a convention with no value by nature.^[3][5] In Hippocratic case reports it is the delirium of fever.^[3][6]

In Luke the apostles take the women's report of the empty tomb for idle talk, and Philo calls the pagan myths empty babble.^[7][6] The verb ληρέω (lēréō, “to talk nonsense”) comes from it.^[2][1]

Timeline

• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it for nonsense and trash.^[3][4][8]
• 5th century BC – Hippocratic case reports use it of delirium.^[3][6][8]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle calls money “mere trash” in the view of some.^[3][5][8]
• 1st century AD – Luke uses it of the women's report of the empty tomb.^[7][6]
• 2nd century AD – Lucian uses it as an adjective, “silly”, of a poet.^[3][8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Foolish talk, nonsense.^[5][3][7]
2. Trash, trumpery: what is showy but useless; a mere trifle.^[3][5]
3. A foolish prattler.^[5]
4. (medicine) Delirium.^[3][6]

Adjective

1. (late) Silly.^[3]

Word family

• ληρέω (lēréō)
• ληρώδης (lērṓdēs)

Usage notes

A separate word λῆρος, Boeotian λεῖρος (leîros), meant a golden ornament on women's dress; it is found on Delos in the 2nd century BC and in the Anthology, Lucian and Pollux, and its origin is unknown.^[2][3][9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 f g h i j k l m n Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
5. ^ a b c d e f Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Spicq, Ceslas (1994), Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, tr. James D. Ernest, 3 vols, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b c Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
8. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
9. ^ Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter