μαρμαίρω

Forms

μᾰρμαίρω (marmaírō) ^[1]

Etymology

Beekes takes it as Pre-Greek.^[2][3] It is a reduplicated intensive present of a root μαρ- (mar-) with the suffix *-ye/o-, beside the adjective μαρμάρεος (marmáreos, “sparkling”), as δαιδάλλω (daidállō) stands beside δαιδάλεος (daidáleos).^[2][4] Tichy's study of its meaning and parallels shows that it may be onomatopoeic in origin, and Beekes considers Pre-Greek origin almost certain because of ἀμαρύσσω (amarússō, “to sparkle”), which has a prothetic vowel, and because of the suffix ⟨-υγ-⟩ of μαρμαρυγή (marmarugḗ, “sparkling”).^[2][3] The same element is found in Μαῖρα (Maîra), a name of Sirius, and in μαραυγέω (maraugéō).^[2]

The traditional etymology derives it from Proto-Indo-European *mer- (“to sparkle, gleam”).^[1] Chantraine finds its best match outside Greek in Sanskrit मरीचि (márīci, “ray of light”) and rejects Latin merus and other comparisons.^[4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer has it only in the Iliad, of glittering armour and gleaming warriors, and once (3.397) of the sparkling eyes of Aphrodite.^[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

Only the present and imperfect are found.^[6][4] Later poets use it of the glare of lightning (Hesiod), of a house gleaming with bronze weapons (Alcaeus) or with gold and ivory (Bacchylides), of a night bright with stars (Aeschylus), of Apollo's golden hair (Euripides) and of a white spot on a bull's brow (Moschus).^[6][8] It is rare in later prose, for example in Plutarch.^[2][8] Its derivatives include μαρμαρίζω (marmarízō), “to sparkle” (Pindar, Diodorus), and μαρμαρυγή (marmarugḗ), a flashing or twinkling, especially of quick movement (Odyssey, Plato).^[4][8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of gleaming armour and of the sparkling eyes of Aphrodite.^[5][6]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod's Theogony uses it of the glare of lightning.^[6][8][9]
• 7th–6th century BC – Alcaeus describes a house gleaming with bronze.^[6][8][9]
• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus speaks of a night sparkling with stars.^[6][8][9]
• 5th century BC – Euripides uses it of Apollo's golden hair.^[8][9]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it in prose.^[8][2][9]
• 3rd century AD – Quintus Smyrnaeus has the iterative imperfect μαρμαίρεσκον.^[6][9]

Meanings

Verb

1. Of warriors and their weapons: to flash, gleam, glitter.^[6][8]
2. Of houses and objects: to gleam with gold, bronze or ivory.^[8][6]
3. Of eyes, stars or lightning: to sparkle, glare.^[8][6]

Related words

• μαρμάρεος (marmáreos)
• μαρμαρυγή (marmarugḗ)
• μαρμαρίζω (marmarízō)
• ἀμαρύσσω (amarússō)
• μαραυγέω (maraugéō)

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 Beekes, Robert S. P. (2014), Pre-Greek: Phonology, Morphology, Lexicon, ed. Stefan Norbruis, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d 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
5. ^ a b Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
6. ^ 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
7. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ a b c d e f Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge