Ἀλαλητόν

shout

Translated by Jennifer Benedict20 Jul 2000Vetting: high6 revisions

12 words

[Meaning] hubbub/uproar. [The word is formed] by addition of the intensive alpha.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Ἀλαλητόν· θόρυβον. κατὰ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ ἐπιτατικοῦ α.

Betacode

*)alalhto/n: qo/rubon. kata\ pleonasmo\n tou= e)pitatikou= a.

From the scholia to Homer, Iliad 4.436, where the headword, here accusative, occurs in the nominative. Same or similar material in other lexica.
The grammarians identified an intensive prefix alpha, as well as alpha steretikon (from *n-, meaning "not") and alpha athroistikon (from *sm-, meaning "with, together." See LSJ, page 1. The idea here is that a)lalhto/s comes from lale/w "speak" with an intensive prefix; more probably it is derived from the exclamation a)lalai/ (cf. alpha 1060). See LSJ entry at web address 1.