Μέροπες

men, people, wights

Translated by Nick Nicholas1 Jun 2009Vetting: high3 revisions

2 notes · 19 words

[Meaning] humans. [sc. So called] from having a divided [memerisme/nhn] vocality [o)/pa], i.e. voice.¹
The nominative [singular is] merops.²

Greek original · Adler’s text

Μέροπες, οἱ ἄνθρωποι. παρὰ τὸ μεμερισμένην ἔχειν τὴν ὄπα, ἤτοι τὴν φωνήν. ἡ εὐθεῖα ὁ Μέροψ.

Betacode

*me/ropes, oi( a)/nqrwpoi. para\ to\ memerisme/nhn e)/xein th\n o)/pa, h)/toi th\n fwnh/n. h( eu)qei=a o( *me/roy.

The headword is an epic/poetic noun generally found, as here, in the plural; see LSJ s.v., which differentiates the bird Merops apiaster (bee-eater). See further below, n. 2.
1That is, "articulate". A common derivation, occurring in Hesychius (mu886), Photius (mu289 Theodoridis), the scholia to Homer, Iliad 18.288, and the scholia to Oppian, Halieutica 1.87. The derivation is implausible; Frisk rejects it, but cannot select one of the "numerous hypotheses" suggested in the literature. The word occurs as an epithet of words for humans like a)/nqrwpos and broto/s, e.g. in Homer, Iliad 1.250, 2.285. See also sigma 254. ↩
2Besides the bird (see above), attested as a character in mythology (Priam's first father-in-law) and as the title of a lost play by Euripides. ↩

Revision history3 revisions · last 6 Feb 2022