ὄνος Ancient Greek · revision 15583

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=Mycenaean (Linear B)|origins=qfa-sub-grc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /ó.nos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈo.nos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈo.nos/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ὄνος''' (ónos) ''m'' or f (genitive ὄνου); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is uncertain.^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary) Beekes thinks it is probably a Pre-Greek word, [[der|qfa-sub-grc|-]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary) Mycenaean has [[gmy|o-no]], /onos/.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ Brugmann's derivation from [[m|grc|*ὄσονος|tr=*ósonos]], borrowed together with [[la|asinus|t=ass]] from a language south of the Black Sea, is doubtful;^(Beekes 2010) Armenian [[xcl|էշ|tr=ēš|t=ass]] rather comes from the word for “horse”.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) [[sux|anšu|t=ass]] has also been compared.^(Beekes 2010) It is not related to [[m|la|onus|t=burden]], and a link with [[hbo|אָתוֹן|tr=ʾāṯôn|t=she-ass]] is rejected.^(Beekes 2010)^(Rosół 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Mycenaean tablets have [[gmy|o-no]].^(Beekes 2010) Homer has it only once (''Iliad'' 11.558).^(LSJ 1940)^(GLAUx)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From Herodotus on it is the common word for the ass or donkey, as a beast of burden and as the type of ugliness, clumsiness and stupidity.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) Herodotus also mentions horned asses among fabulous animals, and Aristotle the one-horned ass.^(LSJ 1940) Proverbs abound: “an ass hearing the lyre”, of one who understands nothing of music (Menander), and “a donkey's shadow”, of something worthless (Aristophanes, Plato).^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ By metaphor it named a windlass, the upper millstone, a fish (perhaps the hake), the woodlouse, a jug with two large handles, and two stars in the constellation Cancer (Theocritus).^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(CGL 2021) The Septuagint distinguishes the wild ass from the domestic one.^(Spicq 1994) Its compound [[ἡμίονος|tr=hēmíonos]] “mule” is Homeric.^(Beekes 2010) Modern Greek ''όνος'' is a learned word.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mycenaean – Linear B has o-no.^(Beekes 2010)

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' uses it once, in a simile.^(LSJ 1940)^(GLAUx)

+ * 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for the donkey.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes has the proverb of the donkey's shadow.^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ * 4th–3rd century BC – Menander has “an ass hearing the lyre”.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|ass]], [[m|en|donkey]].^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # A windlass; the upper millstone.^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A fish, perhaps the [[m|en|hake]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|woodlouse]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # A jug with two large handles.^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(plural)'' Two stars in Cancer.^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ὄναγρος|tr=ónagros]]

+ * [[ὀνῖτις|tr=onîtis]]

+ * [[ὄνοσμα|tr=ónosma]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}