σαλαμάνδρα

Pronunciation

• IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /sa.la.mán.dra/^[1]
• IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /sa.laˈman.dra/^[1]
• IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /sa.laˈman.dra/^[1]

Forms

σᾰλᾰμᾰ́νδρᾰ (salamándra) f (genitive σᾰλᾰμᾰ́νδρᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is unknown.^[2][3] Beekes suggests that, given its non-Indo-European structure, it may be Pre-Greek, like σαύρα (saúra, “lizard”).^[4][1] A connection with σαλάμβη “chimney” is unlikely.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Aristotle mentions it as proof that some animals cannot be burned: the salamander was believed to put out fire.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

Theophrastus, in his work on fire, and Aelian repeat the belief that it quenches fire.^[5] Dioscorides and Philumenus also describe it, and Nicander has the adjective σαλαμάνδρειος.^[5][4]

Medieval Greek knew it from the Physiologus, and a church law forbade eating the “unclean reptile called salamander”.^[6] Modern Greek σαλαμάνδρα (salamándra), also σαλαμάντρα, names the amphibian and, after French salamandre, a kind of stove.^[7][3]

Timeline

• 4th century BC – Aristotle says the salamander puts out fire.^[3][5][8]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Theophrastus repeats it.^[5][8]
• 1st century AD – Dioscorides mentions it.^[5][8]
• Modern Greek – σαλαμάνδρα, also “stove”.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The salamander, a kind of newt believed to put out fire.^[5][4]

Word family

• σαλαμάνδρειος (salamándreios)

Related words

• σαύρα (saúra)
• English salamander

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
3. ^ a b c d e f Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
4. ^ 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
5. ^ 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
6. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
7. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
8. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge