ὁρμή

Forms

ὁρμή (hormḗ) f (genitive ὁρμῆς); first declension^[1] Doric ὁρμά (hormā́).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *hormā́, whose further origin is disputed.^[1][3] Frisk, following Pott and others, thinks it probably right to compare Sanskrit सर्म (sárma, “flowing, streaming”), from the verb सरति (sárati, “to flow, run, hasten”), which would point to Proto-Indo-European *sór-meh₂- from *ser- (“to flow”).^[3][1] The forms match exactly and the meaning is possible.^[3][1] Wiktionary also compares Albanian gjurmë (“footprint, trail”).^[1]

A connection within Greek with ὄρνυμι (órnumi, “to rouse, stir”), from *h₃er- (“to move, rise”), is in Frisk's view at least as likely, and Babiniotis and the CGL relate it to that verb.^[3][2][4][1] On that view the word would continue *h₃(o)r-sm-, and its rough breathing would come from the lost /s/.^[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Homer on.^[5][2] The Iliad uses it for the onrush of a warrior, for the rage of fire and for a fighter's brief effort, and the Odyssey for the shock of a wave.^[5][2] “To come within the rush of a spear” means to come within its range.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Pindar speaks of the spring of the knees and Euripides of the speed of the foot.^[5][2] Herodotus uses it for an invasion.^[5][2] From physical rush it moved to the mind: Empedocles and Herodotus speak of an impulse sent from outside the person, Sophocles of a mad rush and of zeal, and Thucydides of eager desire and of a wave of feeling sweeping a people or an army.^[5][2] Plato and Xenophon use it for setting out, the start of a march or of an undertaking, and the starting point of an argument.^[5][2] In Stoic philosophy it became the technical term for appetition, which covers both reasoned choice and irrational impulse.^[5]

In the New Testament it is the impulse of a ship's steersman, and an attempt made by a crowd.^[6] Medieval vernacular Greek kept the word.^[7] Modern Greek ορμή (ormí) means a rapid or violent movement and vigour; its senses “momentum” in physics and “drive” in psychology follow French and German.^[8] English hormone was formed in 1905 from the present participle of the derived verb ὁρμάω (hormáō).^[9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for the onrush of a warrior, the rage of fire and the effort of a fighter.^[5][2]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for the spring of the knees.^[5][2]
• 5th century BC – Empedocles and Herodotus use it for an impulse sent by a higher power.^[5][2]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides uses it for eager desire and for a wave of feeling in an army.^[2][5]
• 5th–4th century BC – Xenophon uses it for the start of a march.^[5]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for the impulse of a steersman.^[6]
• 1100–1669 – Medieval vernacular Greek keeps the word.^[7]
• 1905 – The English word hormone is formed from the present participle of ὁρμάω (hormáō).^[9]
• Modern Greek – ορμή (ormí) also means momentum in physics and drive in psychology.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A rapid movement forwards, onrush, onset; an assault.^[5][2]
2. The rush or force of things, such as fire, water or wind; the flight or cast of a weapon.^[5][2]
3. Vigour, spring or speed of movement.^[5][2]
4. An impulse to do something, effort; eager desire.^[5][2][6]
5. A wave of feeling in a crowd or an army.^[2]
6. A setting out, the start of a march or an undertaking; a starting point.^[5][2]
7. A natural inclination, drive.^[2]
8. (Stoicism) Appetition, covering reasoned choice and irrational impulse.^[5]

Word family

• ὁρμαίνω (hormaínō)
• ὁρμάω (hormáō)

Related words

• ὄρνυμι (órnumi)
• English hormone

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c d Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com