Τερηδών
shipworm
Translated by David Whitehead9 Jun 2006Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
It shortens [sc. its final omega in the oblique cases].
[Meaning a] timber-boring worm, which lives in timber.1
Aristophanes in Knights [writes]: "but if I must, I will even grow old here, rotted by shipworms".2 And [he writes] elsewhere: "and you, o Teredon, blow an accompaniment for a Persian". Meaning a barbarous and simple song. Also a Persian dance.3
[Meaning a] timber-boring worm, which lives in timber.1
Aristophanes in Knights [writes]: "but if I must, I will even grow old here, rotted by shipworms".2 And [he writes] elsewhere: "and you, o Teredon, blow an accompaniment for a Persian". Meaning a barbarous and simple song. Also a Persian dance.3
Greek original · Adler’s text
Τερηδών· συστέλλει. σκώληξ ξυλοτρώκτης, οἰκῶν ἐν ξύλῳ. Ἀριστοφάνης Ἱππεῦσιν· ἀλλ' ἐάν με χρή, ὑπὸ τερηδόνων σαπεῖσ' ἐνταῦθα καὶ καταγηράσομαι. καὶ αὖθις· σὺ δ', ὦ Τερηδών, ἐπαναφύσα Περσικόν. ἀντὶ τοῦ βάρβαρον καὶ φυσικὸν ᾆσμα. καὶ Περσικὸν ὄρχημα.
Betacode
*terhdw/n: suste/llei. skw/lhc culotrw/kths, oi)kw=n e)n cu/lw|. *)aristofa/nhs *(ippeu=sin: a)ll' e)a/n me xrh/, u(po\ terhdo/nwn sapei=s' e)ntau=qa kai\ kataghra/somai. kai\ au)=qis: su\ d', w)= *terhdw/n, e)panafu/sa *persiko/n. a)nti\ tou= ba/rbaron kai\ fusiko\n a)=|sma. kai\ *persiko\n o)/rxhma.
Notes (3)
- On the teredo navalis -- not a true worm but a clam -- see generally J.S. Morrison and J.F. Coates, The Athenian Trireme 180-1 and 187.
- 1Likewise or similarly in other lexica, and cf. the scholia to the Aristophanes passage cited in the next note. ↩
- 2Aristophanes, Knights 1307-8 (a trireme is speaking). ↩
- 3Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 1175 (addressed to a boy piper who happens to bear the same name as the present headword), with scholion. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 9 Jan 2014
- Revised — David Whitehead
- modified headword and tr; augmented notes — David Whitehead
- typo — David Whitehead
- modified translation, set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead