Ὄνου παρακύψεως

a donkey's poking-in

Translated by David Whitehead25 Nov 2002Vetting: high3 revisions

25 words

When a donkey had poked in, birds were scared and upset a loom. The loom's owner sued the owner of the donkey; hence the proverb.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Ὄνου παρακύψεως· ὄνου παρακύψαντος, ὄρνιθες πτοηθεῖσαι ἱστὸν ἀνέρρηξαν. ὁ δὲ δεσπότης τοῦ ἱστοῦ τῷ τοῦ ὄνου δεσπότῃ ἐνεκάλεσεν· ὅθεν ἡ παροιμία.

Betacode

*)/onou paraku/yews: o)/nou paraku/yantos, o)/rniqes ptohqei=sai i(sto\n a)ne/rrhcan. o( de\ despo/ths tou= i(stou= tw=| tou= o)/nou despo/th| e)neka/lesen: o(/qen h( paroimi/a.

Notes

(See under omicron 397.)
Same entry in Photius (omicron362 Theodoridis, with other references there).

Linked from1 entry

ο397Ὄνου παρακύψεωςa donkey's poking-inThe proverb is said about those being prosecuted on laughable grounds. The story goes that a certain potter -- though some [say] model-maker -- was modelling a load of birds in his workshop. A donkey appeared, while his…

Neighbouring entries

ο396Ὄνου θανάτουςa donkey's deaths ο397Ὄνου παρακύψεωςa donkey's poking-in ο398Ὄνου παρακύψεωςa donkey's poking-in ο399Ὄνου πόκαιa donkey's fleeces ο400Ὄνου σκιὰa donkey's shadow

Revision history3 revisions · last 4 Jul 2013

4 Jul 2013Revised — David Whitehead
7 Jan 2010expanded note — David Whitehead
26 Jan 2004set status — Catharine Roth
25 Nov 2002Translated — David Whitehead