Ἀλκυών
alkuon, alcyon, halcyon
Translated by Robert Dyer10 May 2000Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
A sea bird.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀλκυών· ὄρνεον θαλάσσιον.
Betacode
*)alkuw/n: o)/rneon qala/ssion.
Notes
- Likewise or similarly in other lexica.
This word for the Mediterranean kingfisher (Alcedo ispida) was written sometimes even in Greek with an initial h-, as if it came from the Greek root for salt, hal-. It occurs in English writing before Tudor times without the h-, but from the time of Marlowe, Shakespeare and Drayton always in the form 'halcyon'. The species name Halcyon was given in James Cook's 1790 expedition to the giant kingfishers of New Zealand and Australia.
See also alpha 1298, alpha 1299.
Linked from3 entries
- α1298Ἀλκυονίδες ἡμέραιAlcyon days, Halcyon days, kingfisher days[Meaning] those of fine weather. People differ on their number. For Simonides in Pentathla says they are 11, as does Aristotle in [his book] Concerning Animals, but Demagoras of Samos [says] 7, and Philochorus 9.…
- α1299ἈλκυονῖτιςAlkyonis, Alcyonisand [sc. also attested is] Alkyonitis: the mother of Alkyon.
- κ1549Κηρύλοςkerulos, kerylos[Meaning] the male [h]alcyon, which dies in intercourse. Euphronios reports that the Dorians say "would that, would that I were a khru/los"; but the Attic-speakers [call it] keiru/los. When the males grow old the…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 10 Jun 2015
- tweaked note — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- small addition to notes — David Whitehead
- added cross-references — Catharine Roth
- Translated — Robert Dyer