Ἀσκάλαφος

askalaphos

Translated by Jennifer Benedict20 Mar 2002Vetting: high4 revisions

12 words

[So called] from the toughness of its surface, which is exceedingly hard.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Ἀσκάλαφος· παρὰ τὸ ἀσκελὲς τῆς ἁφῆς, ὁ λίαν σκληρός.

Betacode

*)aska/lafos: para\ to\ a)skele\s th=s a(fh=s, o( li/an sklhro/s.

From the scholia to Homer, Iliad 13.478, where the headword occurs as a proper name. In lower case the word seems to denote a species of bird, perhaps an owl; cf. Aristotle, History of Animals 509a21, and see LSJ s.v.