ὑμήν

ὑμήν¹ membrane

Pronunciation

• 5th-century BC Attic: /hy.mɛ̌ːn/^[3]
• 4th-century AD Koine: /yˈmin/^[3]
• 10th-century Byzantine: /yˈmin/^[3]

Forms

ῠ̔μήν (humḗn) m (genitive ῠ̔μένος); third declension^[3]

Etymology

The membrane is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *sjuH-mn̥ (“thread, sinew”), an old technical word isolated in Greek.^[1][4][2] Apart from the length of its υ, it matches Sanskrit स्यूमन् (syū́man-, “band, strap, suture”).^[1][4][3] The root is that of the verb “to sew”: Latin suō, Lithuanian siū́ti, Gothic 𐍃𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (siujan), and Greek κασσύω (kassúō, “to stitch together”).^[1][2][4] A Hittite word once compared means “rush” and is unrelated.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first texts with the word are medical: the Hippocratic writings use it for a thin skin or membrane in the body.^[5][1]

Semantic evolution

Aristotle uses it of the membranes around the brain and heart, the bowels and the foetus, of the nictitating membrane of birds and of the wings of insects.^[6] Theophrastus applies it to the capsule of seeds in plants.^[6] Later writers use it for a thin plate of metal and, in the Letter of Aristeas and Josephus, for parchment.^[6] Galen, Soranus and Pollux name particular membranes, such as the pericardium and the peritoneum.^[6]

Modern Greek υμένας (iménas) is a learned anatomical word.^[7][8]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – The Hippocratic writings use it for membranes of the body.^[5][9]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of the membranes of the brain and heart and of insects' wings.^[6][9]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Theophrastus uses it for the seed capsule of plants.^[6][9]
• 1st century AD – Josephus uses it for parchment.^[6]
• 2nd century AD – Galen and Pollux name the membranes of the eye and the pericardium.^[6][9]
• Modern Greek – Modern Greek υμένας (iménas) is a learned term of anatomy.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A thin skin, membrane or caul, as around the brain, heart, bowels or foetus.^[6][10]
2. A sinew of fish; the nictitating membrane of birds; the wing of insects.^[6][1]
3. The capsule or seed vessel of plants.^[6]
4. A thin plate of metal.^[6]
5. Parchment.^[6]

Word family

• ὑμένιον (huménion)
• ὑμένινος (huméninos)
• ὑμενόπτερος (humenópteros)

ὑμήν² wedding cry

Pronunciation

• 5th-century BC Attic: /hy.mɛ̌ːn/^[3]
• 4th-century AD Koine: /yˈmin/^[3]
• 10th-century Byzantine: /yˈmin/^[3]

Forms

ὑμήν (humḗn) m (vocative ὑμέν); the u is short or long.^[1][2]

Etymology

The wedding cry is of disputed origin.^[1][2] Muth took it for a ritual cry of non-Indo-European origin, and Beekes labels it possibly Pre-Greek, as Furnée did, though without further argument.^[1][4] Frisk, following Lamer, holds it to be the same word as the membrane, in the sense of the maidenhead, first used as a teasing popular cry.^[4][1][2] Maas and Boisacq kept the two apart, because the medical sense “maidenhead” is attested only in late physicians, and Boisacq compared ὕμνος (húmnos, “hymn”).^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The cry is first found in Euripides, as in “Hymen, O Hymenaios, lord” in the Trojan Women; the related ὑμέναιος (hūménaios, “wedding song”) is older, found in the Iliad.^[1][2]

Semantic evolution

It is usually joined with ὑμέναιος (hūménaios), and like it came to name the god of marriage, Hymen.^[1][2] Aristophanes and Theocritus use it in wedding songs.^[2] Sappho has the Aeolic form ὑμήναος (humḗnaos), and Callimachus a vocative ὑμέν.^[1][2] The verb ὑμεναιόω (humenaióō) meant to strike up the wedding song (Aeschylus) and to marry (Aristophanes).^[1][2]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad has the related ὑμέναιος (hūménaios), the wedding song.^[2][1]
• 7th–6th century BC – Sappho uses the Aeolic ὑμήναος (humḗnaos).^[1][2][9]
• 5th century BC – Euripides uses the cry and names the god Hymen.^[2][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes has the cry in the Peace and the Birds.^[2][9]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Theocritus uses it in his wedding song for Helen.^[2][9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The wedding cry, raised in the wedding song.^[1][2]
2. Hymen, the god of marriage.^[1][2]

Word family

• ὑμέναιος (hūménaios)
• ὑμεναιόω (humenaióō)