λήθαργος Ancient Greek · revision 3236

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=5th century BC, Hippocratic writings|origins=qfa-sub-grc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /lɛ̌ː.tʰaːr.ɡos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈli.θar.ɣos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈli.θar.ɣos/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''λήθᾱργος''' (lḗthārgos) ''m'' or f (neuter λήθᾱργον); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Beekes considers it Pre-Greek, [[der|qfa-sub-grc|-]], because of its variation with [[λαίθαργος|tr=laíthargos|t=treacherous]]: the alternation ⟨η⟩ / ⟨αι⟩ is typical of substrate words.^(Beekes 2010)^(Beekes 2014) The PHILOGLOSSA database rates this as highly reliable.^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+

+ The traditional analysis is a compound of [[λήθη|tr=lḗthē|t=forgetfulness]] and [[ἀργός|tr=argós|t=idle]], “idle through forgetfulness”, which Frisk found hard to square with the illness.^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary) Beekes thinks the word, or at least its meaning, was influenced by these words.^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary)^(Beekes 2010) It was probably first an adjective with [[νόσος|tr=nósos|t=disease]] or [[πυρετός|tr=puretós|t=fever]] understood.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Hippocratic writings use it for a lethargic fever, a disease of drowsiness.^(Beekes 2010)^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Aristotle and the Stoic Chrysippus use it for lethargy, and Galen and Paul of Aegina for the illness.^(Beekes 2010)^(PHILOGLOSSA) From Menander on it is also an adjective, “forgetful”.^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary) Hesychius records other senses: “treacherous”, a dog that fawns but bites in secret (from Sophocles), and dull, sluggish horses.^(Hesychius)

+

+ Latin borrowed it as [[m|la|lēthargus]].^(Wiktionary) Modern Greek [[m|el|λήθαργος|tr=líthargos]] is a learned word for pathological deep sleep, figurative torpor, and in botany the dormancy of seeds.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 5th century BC – The Hippocratic writings describe the disease.^(Beekes 2010)^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+ * 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for lethargy.^(Beekes 2010)

+ * 4th–3rd century BC – Menander uses it as an adjective, “forgetful”.^(Beekes 2010)

+ * 2nd century AD – Galen discusses the illness.^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+ * 5th century AD (probably) – Hesychius glosses it as “forgetful” and “treacherous”.^(Hesychius)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|lethargy]], or ''(medicine)'' a lethargic fever.^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|forgetful]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Hesychius)

+ # Treacherous, of a dog that fawns and bites in secret.^(Hesychius)

+ # Sluggish, of horses.^(Hesychius)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ληθαργία|tr=lēthārgíā]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[λαίθαργος|tr=laíthargos]]

+ * [[λήθη|tr=lḗthē]]

+ * [[la|lethargus]]

+ * [[en|lethargy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}