Elkos

From Simon Online
Jump to: navigation, search

Elkos grece ulcus elkosis ulceratio elkea ulcera.


Apparatus:

Elkos ABC f | Elhos ms. e {'k' misread as 'h'}

vlceratio (-rat͞o ms. e) AC e | ulcratō B | vlcerao f

elkea AC | elkra e {'e' misread as 'r'} | elkta B {typesetting error} | New entry: Elkada f


Translation:

Elkos is Greek for Latin ulcus {"sore, ulcer"}; Greek elkosis is in Latin ulceratio {"ulceration"}, and the plural of elkos {"ulcer"} is elkea and that of ulcus is ulcera.


Commentary:

The Greek word is ἕλκος /hélkos/ "festering wound, sore, ulcer"; its plural is ἕλκεα /hélkea/, which corresponds to Latin (h)ulcus, pl.(h)ulcera "sore, ulcer". The two words are ultimately etymologically related. From ἕλκος /hélkos/ is derived ἕλκωσις /hélkōsis/ "ulceration", just as Latin ulceratio is a derivative of ulcus, with the same meaning. The /h/ sound at the beginning of Greek words had by Simon's time long been lost. In the Latin word both forms occurred in antiquity, i.e. ulcus/hulcus, but Latin lost the /h/ sound too in the folk language and as early as in the Classic period, in spite of classicist speakers' attempts to preserve it. However, in Simon's time /h/ had long before disappeared except from historicising spellings.

See also: Pyos


Next entry