ἅρπυια Ancient Greek · revision 3272

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=Homer, Iliad|origins=qfa-sub-grc}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /hár.pyː.a/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈar.py.a/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈar.py.a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ἅρπυιᾰ''' (hárpuia) ''f'' (genitive ἁρπυίᾱς); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ Beekes considers it Pre-Greek, [[der|qfa-sub-grc|-]], because of its suffix [[m|grc|-υια|tr=-uia]], which is typical of substrate words such as [[ἄγυια|tr=águia]] and the goddess name [[Εἰλείθυια|tr=Eileíthuia]], and because of the variation between ⟨ε⟩ and zero seen in the old dual [[Ἅρπυια|alt=Ἀρεπυίᾱ|tr=Arepuíā]] from Aegina.^(Beekes 2010)^(Beekes 2014) The PHILOGLOSSA database rates the Pre-Greek explanation as highly reliable.^(PHILOGLOSSA)

+

+ The Homeric phrase “the Harpies snatched him away” once suggested a link with [[ἐρέπτομαι|tr=eréptomai|t=to feed on]], and Frisk explained the name as a participle without reduplication.^(Frisk 1960) Beekes rejects both, since Greek perfects without reduplication do not exist apart from [[οἶδα|tr=oîda]].^(Beekes 2010) The DGE thinks it is surely a loanword.^(DGE) The rough breathing was probably taken over from [[ἁρπάζω|tr=harpázō|t=to snatch]] by folk etymology, and ancient and modern writers alike have read the name as “snatcher”.^(Beekes 2010)^(PHILOGLOSSA)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the ''Iliad'' the Harpy Podarge, “swift-foot”, is the mother of Achilles' immortal horses by the west wind Zephyrus.^(DGE)^(CGL 2021) In the ''Odyssey'' the Harpies are the powers that snatch away a man who vanishes without trace.^(DGE)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Hesiod's ''Theogony'' makes the Harpies daughters of Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra, personifications of whirlwinds and storms.^(DGE) Etymonline notes that in Homer they are no more than storm winds, and in Hesiod fair-haired winged maidens faster than the winds.^(Etymonline) From the 5th century BC they appear as bird-like female monsters: Aristophanes and Apollonius of Rhodes portray them so, Apollonius in the story of the Harpies who steal the food of the blind seer Phineus.^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

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+ Aeschylus gave the name to one of Actaeon's hounds, and Hesychius glosses the word as “rapacious”, used also of hunting dogs.^(DGE)^(Onomata)^(Hesychius) Plutarch applies it figuratively to tax collectors.^(CGL 2021) Latin borrowed it as [[m|la|harpyia]], from which English ''harpy'' comes through French; the English sense “greedy person” dates from about 1400.^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) Modern Greek has the learned form [[el|άρπυια|tr=árpyia]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' names the Harpy Podarge as the mother of Achilles' horses; the ''Odyssey'' has Harpies that snatch people away.^(DGE)^(CGL 2021)

+ * Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod gives the Harpies a genealogy, as daughters of Thaumas and Electra.^(DGE)

+ * 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus names one of Actaeon's hounds Harpyia.^(DGE)^(Onomata)

+ * 3rd century BC – Apollonius of Rhodes tells how the Harpies snatched the food of Phineus.^(DGE)

+ * 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch calls tax collectors Harpies.^(CGL 2021)

+ * Late 14th century – English borrows the word as ''harpy'', through Latin and French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(mythology)'' A [[m|en|Harpy]], a female daemon of storms and whirlwinds who snatches people away.^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ # ''(mythology)'' A female bird-monster.^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A rapacious person, such as a tax collector.^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(adjective use)'' Snatching, rapacious, of hunting dogs.^(Hesychius)^(Onomata)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ἅρπη|tr=hárpē]]

+ * [[ἁρπάζω|tr=harpázō]]

+ * [[la|harpyia]]

+ * [[en|harpy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}