The word βαιός (baios) and, essentially, its root bai mean little, small, scanty, paltry, humble, a low condition, and infancy. It is also used in βαιών (baiōn) for driveling, talking nonsense (or not correctly talking at all) or letting saliva and mucus flow from the mouth and nose, typical behavioral features of infancy. The verb βαίνω (bainō), to step, walk, stand, depart, go, describes this primary human behavioral trait developed at infancy. Bainō uses the root bai for infancy, the letter N for movement (see section N), and the big-O (Omega; Ω; see section Ω) for multiple rounds (OO > Ω). In Greek, therefore, to walk or step literally means infant-movement-rounds. A leech, i.e., a parasitic worm that sticks to human skin and sucks blood, is called βαῖτυξ (baityx). This is made of bai, likely referring to infant’s suckling, T for sticking (see section T), and YX for pricking the skin, blood extraction, or a point (X) protuberance (see section Kybebe), i.e., a pimple. A βαία (baia) is glossed as a nurse (nursery), although it probably (also) means a leech used for therapeutic purposes[1].
Digging deeper into bai, the ba
sub-cluster also appears in βάβιον (babion), meaning child,
hence English babe (/beɪb/) and French bave (drool). When ba doubles, as in βάβαξ (babax;
chatterer) or in βάρβαρος (barbaros; barbarous, barbarian), it implies a multiplicity of meaningless childish utterances. The verb βάζω (bazō)
means to speak, say, while βάω (baō) is a synonym of bainō,
(step, walk), as above, but without significant movement (absence of N). The exclamation
of surprise βαβαί (babai; ba-bai)
would literally translate as a small utterance without significant meaning, or
almost. Similarly, βάξις (baxis) is a simple voice, an unclear
oracular saying, or a rumor, always requiring interpretation. Another version
of such primitive cry is ἄβα (aba), loud cry, shout, battle-cry, cry
of mourning, the murmur of a crowd, aid called for, succor. In the sector of
writing or calculations, ἄβαξ (abax) is the elementary equipment,
a slab, board, reckoning-board for counting votes, dice-board.
Another primitive exclamation is that of
disgust, βοῖ (boi or boï; /voi/) or αἰβοῖ (aiboi or aïboï;
/aivoi/); compare English voice. A longer (|-|; H) voice becomes βοή (boē;
boh! boo), loud cry, shout, synonymous to babai as just above. Note, again, the conversion of OO to OH. Some exclamations
are natural, spontaneous, instinctive, or intuitive sounds transcribed in an
onomatopoetic fashion. They do not obey grammatical or semantic
rules but arbitrary conventions when written. They are perhaps the only cases where
Saussure’s theory of arbitrariness of linguistic signs applies with success. In
this sense, boi and boē are almost identical. The only difference
is in the length of the voice/cry in time, its intensity, and the number of
people making it (I/H for short/long, baby-word/scream, individual/crowd, instantaneous/repetitive;
compare English hubbub).
Most Ancient Greek words starting with ὠτ (ōt), are about ears or hearing with very rear exceptions. For
instance, ὠτίον (ōtion), plural ōtia, is a diminutive of
ear/ears. In-between the stems boi and ōtia of Βοιωτία (Boiōtia),
Boeotia, we have a couple of other meaningful clusters. The interjection οἵως (oiōs;
from presentative οἷος, oios) means such as, of what sort, what a…, like as, just
such as, the sort of person who…, the thing which…, because of what they heard, how,
in what a state, as, just as, as for instance, about. A subsequent stem, iōt
forms the name of the letter ἰῶτα (iōta; I, Iota), which
also means a line, stroke (on a sundial), smallest letter. Iōta appears in
an Ancient Greek proverb as anything tiny, the slightest thing.
Summing up the semantics of Boeotia, we have:
Table 1. Semantic analysis of BOIŌTIA.
|
BOI |
voice, disgust, cry |
|
OIŌ |
how,
in what it ends, such as, of what sort, |
|
IŌT |
anything
tiny, the slightest |
|
ŌTIA |
little ears, hear |
Boeotia is a poetic word for cry-is-how-it-ends-the-slightest-thing-they-hear-in-their-little-ears. Who are they? No doubt, the infants! So, Cadmus went to the infants who cried for the slightest thing. There he founded the city of Thebes with a famous wall and became its king.
The Greek name of
the Cadmean city is Θήβα (Thēba) or, more frequently, its ‘plural’ Θῆβαι
(Thēbai, Thebes). Same myth, same method! The stem thēb appears
almost independently in the noun θῆβος (thēbos) glossed by
Hesychius as θαῦμα (thayma) meaning wonder, marvel. Moving by one letter
to the right, we find ἠβαιός (ēbaios), an Ionic form of baios
(as above) for small, little, usually with a negative sense, not at all. The
intermediate stem, ἥβα (ēba), means youth, youthful spirit. Thebes
may be interpreted as a small wonder, a little marvel, or no wonder at all (Table 2). The archaic Theta
(Th) looked like a wheel (ʘ, 𐌈). It iconically conveyed a turn. Thēbai can, thus, also be
interpreted as a bit of turn, a slight transition in infancy, or an innovation. By
giving the infants a wall, Cadmus the pen became their king, and a minor
miracle was established. I guess they stopped crying, no wonder!
Table 2. Semantic analysis of ThĒBAI
|
ThĒB |
wonder, marvel |
|
ĒBA |
youth,
youthful spirit |
|
BAI |
small, not at all |
There are, however, problems with the above interpretation of Cadmus. A pen as a writing and drawing implement is not a primary need of infants. Moreover, Cadmus retains his wife Harmonia in Boeotia. Harmonia, interpreted as a soup-like object, fits the concept of infancy and its primary needs (baby food). Therefore, a refinement of the meaning of Cadmus (Kadmos) as a feeding device seems appropriate. In this sense, Cadmus would be a hypernym of a pen. A pen is a feeding device since it feeds paper and other fibrous materials with a stain by capillary action (suction, absorption). Still, a feeding device is not necessarily a pen. The hyponyms of feeding devices include pen, baby bottle, and container tubes such as those collapsible packages of viscous liquids, e.g., toothpaste, artist’s paint, adhesive, caulk, or ointment. Feeders are generally tubular dispensers with a bland end and a narrower outlet orifice, typically a nozzle that controls the flow’s direction, mass, speed, and shape. They work by pressure chances, either positive (squeezing) or negative (sucking). The natural nozzle prototypes are the breast nipples and the penis. The prototypes of fed objects are the mouth, frequently used as a metaphor for any orifice and the vagina.
The interpretation of Kadmos (Cadmus) as a feeder’s nozzle, or nozzle-feeder, remains consistent with the kad-mos morphology of the name. The stem kad- (Romanized cad; remember cas-cad-e) refers to the inlet of a tube in a series (i.e., the mouth as the inlet of the digestive tube; see section Casmilos and Cadmilos) whereas the -mos ending evokes suckers and suction (see section Cadmus and Cilix). It also remains compatible with the mytheme of Cadmus in Samothrace (sam-othr-akē; higher education; see section TheMysteries of and the Nike of Samothrace). The entire myth is an elementary theory of fluid physics, of which one application is the pen for writing. This explains capillary action. The association of Cadmus with Boeotia, the infancy (as above), also evokes a baby feeder and active suction. But the narrative contains additional mythemes for further explanation and association with other concepts.
During his
wandering, Cadmus passed by Delphi (Δελφοί; Delphoi; the womb).
The oracle advised him to give up his quest, follow a cow, and build a
town where the cow would lie down exhausted. According to Pausanias, this cow
(βοῦς; boys) was bought from the herdsmen of Pelagon (Πελάγων; Pelagōn),
king of Phocis (Φωκίς; Phōkis). She had a white mark on each side like the orb of a full moon. The cow guided Cadmus to Boeotia, where
he founded the city of Thebes. As compiled by various authors, the story
continues as follows. Intending to sacrifice the cow to Athena, Cadmus
sent some of his companions, Deioleon (Δείολέων; Deioleōn) and Seriphus
(Σέριφος; Seriphos), to the nearby Ismenian (Ἰσμήνιος; Ismēnios)
spring for water. They were slain by the spring’s guardian dragon (δράκων;
drakōn) dedicated to Ares.
Next, Cadmus slew
the dragon breaking his teeth with a stone. Following the advice of goddess
Athena, he sowed the teeth of the monster. Fierce armed men known as Spartoi
(Σπαρτοί; Spartoi; ‘sown’) sprang from the teeth. Cadmus threw a stone
among them. Not knowing who threw the stone, these men slew each other. Only
five remained, Echion (Ἐχίων; Echiōn), Udaeus (Οὐδαῖος; Oydaios),
Chthonius (χθόνιος; Chthonios), Hyperenor (Ὑπερήνωρ; ‘Yperēnōr),
and Pelorus or Pelor (Πέλωρος or Πέλωρ; Pelōros or Pelōr)[2].
According to the Theban legend, those five Spartoi assisted Cadmus in building the
Cadmeia citadel of Thebes and founded the city’s noblest families. The
dragon being sacred to Ares, the god made Cadmus do penance by serving him for
a period, some say for one year, others, for eight. According to Thebans, the gods gave him Harmonia as his wife at the end of this period. There is
no mention of Samothrace in this version of the myth.
The citadel of Thebes is the citadel of the mouth with its towers, the teeth. In the second part
of the myth, its authors make sure we understand it is all about teeth. The
stone represents hard food that kills the primary teeth, thus allowing space for the
five noble families of permanent adult teeth to grow. The denture has a crenelated parapet linking to Ares (defense, protection, security; see section Demeter and Ares – irrigation
and defense). As a fluid feeder (baby bottle), Cadmus served Ares to protect
infants without teeth or fragile teeth from hard solid food. Some said this protection lasted for one year (primary teeth develop after 6 months till
about 18 months, maximum two years). Others said eight years, i.e., the age at which
most permanent denture is fully developed. The mythographers recommended soft food
administered by Cadmus (suction, baby bottle) till that age.
Spartoi, from σπείρω
(speirō; to sow, scatter, spread, disperse), does mean sown, grown from
seed, cultivated, but it also means scattered, i.e., occurring or found at
intervals or various locations rather than all together, not organized. The
sememe of dispersion describes well the structure of early baby dentures. The
variable order by which different authors list the five types of permanent
teeth does not help us precisely identify the Theban families. However, Pelōros
(Pelorus) stands out. The common noun is glossed as the monstrous, prodigious, tremendous,
terrible, gigantic tread. The second part of the word exists as an independent
word, ὦρος (ōros) – a variant of ὅρος (‘oros) – meaning boundary,
landmark, the time within which. The intermediate sequence, ἕλωρ (elōr), means spoil, prey, of unburied corpses, in other words, rotting. The candidate
etymon verb πέλω (pelō) means to come into existence, become, be.
Another candidate, πελάζω (pelazō), means to approach, draw near, come
near, bring into. The sememes included in Pelorus match the characteristics of
the wisdom teeth. These teeth are at the boundaries of the developed denture,
both in space and time. They are prone to infection, and they frequently cause
problems to the proximal teeth and other tissues due to the limited available
space for tooth eruption. Their eruption has been known to cause dental issues and
pain at least as far back as Aristotle
If Pelorus
corresponds to the wisdom teeth family, Apollodorus would seem to have got the
sequence right, mentioning them last. Then, the first listed Echion family
would be that of incisors. For some authors, however, the names of the Spartoi
(scattered; scarce) may have meant the various tooth morphologies or stages of development observed in an infant’s mouth at a time. We would, thus, have teeth
perceived to be ‘underground’ (Chthonius; from χθόνιος, chthonios;
underground), just appearing ‘on-ground’ (Udaeus; οὐδαῖος, oydaios, on
the ground), overbearing, overweening (Hyperenor; ὑπερήνωρ, ‘yperēnōr), monstrous,
prodigious, huge (Pelorus; πέλωρος, pelōros), or sharp, pricky (Echion; ἔχις,
echis, viper; ἐχῖνος, echinos, hedgehog;
etc.).
Infant denture
development incurs discomfort, pain, and inflammation (from inflame),
i.e., local temperature elevation. These phenomena are iconically represented
as a dragon spitting flames. In Greek, the words δράκων (drakōn; dragon,
serpent, noose, bandage) and δράκος (drakos; Ancient Greek eye, Modern
Greek dragon) are alternatively related to the verbs δέρκομαι (derkomai),
meaning to see, see clearly, flash, gleam, and δράσσομαι (drassomai), to
grasp with the hand, lay hold of. Both verbs may signify sudden, unusual, or
clear manifestations of health conditions such as high temperature (flash,
flair, blaze) or pain, as we instinctively lay hold of the part of the body
that hurts. The dragon killed by Cadmus in Boeotia is the discomfort treated
with a pacifier or finger suction in infancy. A cold spoon or a wet cloth are
recommended today. Killing a dragon (inflammation) and breaking the teeth
out is semantically close to relieving the discomfort (think of a pain
killer) and helping the teeth erupt. It is enough to
turn one’s mind round in the right direction, to think out of the box. This mental exercise was apparently the predominant pedagogical method in
Ancient Greek education. It would be interesting to investigate the meaning of
dragons in other mythologies.
The A of a dragon, pointing up, is replaced by a Y (Latin V or U), pointing
down, in English drug. A drug may be perceived as a dragon
killer, bringing down what is elevated in a medical condition,
i.e., pain, inflammation, etc. The stem dru (equivalent to dry),
from drug, is found in the Homeric δρῦς (drys), originally meaning any tree, with most frequent references to olive trees and
pines. Probably, drys referred to trees (perhaps any plants
and dry plant products) of medicinal value precisely because these were
used to bring down dragons (pathological conditions). The stem is also
found in English druid, a priest, magician, or soothsayer
in the ancient Celtic religion, or, more probably, the medic of the time.
The cow that
guided Cadmus to Boeotia belonged to Pelagon, the kink of Phocis. The name of the
king Πελάγων (Pelagōn; Pelagon) is relatively straightforward.
A morphologically similar verb, πελαγόω (pelagoō), means to
turn into sea, flood. Infants urinate beyond control and flood all over the
place. This behavior is the king of Phocis (Φωκίς; Phōkis). There
are no cognates of Phōkis that could help us decipher the
toponym. Our only hope reposes to the principle of antonymy by inversion. The
inverse of the stem phōk, kōph, makes words related to κωφός (kōphos),
mute, noiseless, dumb. If the principle holds, phōk should be found among
the antonyms of mute, dump. It could be among the synonyms of talkative or noisy. I prefer the synonyms of noisy because Greek words related to articulate voice
begin with phōn (e.g., φωνή; phōnē; voice), not with phōk.
The latter is predicted to mean something like deafening noise, cry, scream.
Babies tend to cry when they get wet. The cow that Cadmus (the baby
feeder) followed came from the flood-makers of the land of screaming. But could a cow
mean a baby? Funny enough, the Greek word for cow, βοῦς, transliterates as boys,
and has also been used with the many metaphorical meanings[3].
According to current standard etymologies, the English boy has been
associated with the term baby and the old stem boi (from Boiōtia;
Boeotia)[4].
Intending to
sacrifice the cow to Athena, Cadmus sent his companions, Deioleon
(Δείο-λέων; Deioleōn) and Seriphus (Σέριφος; Seriphos), to
the nearby Ismenian (Ἰσμήνιος; Ismēnios) spring for water. I argued that Athena is the olive tree or the olive oil (see section Athena and Athens). A
sacrifice of a cow to Athena is the oiling of a baby. The sememes traced in the
relevant Ismenian spring mythemes are as in Table 3. Ismenian refers to the established procedures of wiping, cleansing and
cherishing a baby during its first year of life. The companions of Cadmus, the
baby bottle, are its contents. Seriphus is a bitter chicory broth. Chicory has
been known for its appeasing properties. Deioleon is about the need to remove
dangerous, potentially toxic, or infectious impurities.
Table 3. Semantic analysis of Ismenian, Seriphus, and Deioleon.
|
ISMHNIAN |
Sememes |
|
ISM |
foundation,
knowledge |
|
SMH |
wipe
or cleanse with soap or unguent |
|
MHNI |
cherish |
|
HNI |
a
year old, yearling |
|
|
|
|
SERIPhOS |
|
|
SERIPhO |
wormwood,
bitterness |
|
SERI |
endive,
chicory (soother, appeaser) |
|
ERIPh |
kid,
of kid, soup or sauce, broth, fat, greasy |
|
|
|
|
DEIOLEŌN |
|
|
DEI |
there
is a need to, one ought to |
|
EIO |
where,
him, her |
|
IOL |
venom,
deadly |
|
OLE |
impure,
turbid, destroy, make an end of |
|
LEŌN |
dangerous
(animal, but not only) |
At Thebes, Cadmus
and Harmonia began a dynasty with four daughters, Agave (Ἀγαύη; Agayē),
Autonoë (Αὐτονόη; Aytonoē), Ino (Ἰνώ; Inō) and Semele
(Σεμέλη; Semelē), and Polydorus (Πολύδωρος; Polydōros),
their only son
There are,
however, different possible interpretations of Agave, Echion, and the other
Spartoi. A particularly appealing one invokes the French verb gaver: force-feed, eat to excess, fill up, stuff, fatten, exasperate. Agave
(from Agayē; /agavi/) is probably related to gaver
(from *gayer; /gave/), meaning to make happy, satisfy. The
initial a- plays the role of an intensive prefix
This
interpretation would be consistent with the continuation of the myth. Agave and
Echion had a son, Pentheus, and a daughter, Epeiros. In Pentheus (Πενθεύς; Pentheys), we distinguish pen- and -theys. Pen is the root of the
verbs πένω (penō), πένομαι (penomai),
and πενέω (peneō), all meaning to be poor in, have the need of.
The related noun is πενία (penia), meaning poverty, need.
We also find the stem pen in English penny, pension,
penury, pending, implying
incompleteness, insufficiency, something missing, or a small amount. The ending
-theys, as independent word (θεῦ, they) comes from τίθημι (tithēmi),
meaning to set, put, place. Pentheus is, thus, a minimum setting, a mark
indicating the minimum amount of content required in a container. Penth-
is found in πένθος (penthos), grief, sorrow, misery, mourning,
grief for the dead, a state of distress for something missing. If
the Pentheus level is not reached in infancy, the missing amount causes a cry.
Pentheus’ sister,
Epeiros or Epiros (Ἤπειρος; Ēpeiros), must be the optimal, or highest
level or the amount allowed. The initial H (Ē) denotes an interval, distance. Hp-
(ēp-) is found in ἤπιος (ēpios) meaning gentle,
kind, mild, less intense, soothing, assuaging, soft, favorable for beginning a
thing. The following stem, peir, is in πεῖρα (peira), meaning trial,
attempt, being proved, experience, experiment. It is also found in; πειρά (peira),
sharp point; πειραικός (peiraikos), over the border; πεῖρας
(peiras), end, limit, completion, achievement; πειρατέον (peirateon),
one must attempt; πειράω (peiraō), to attempt, endeavor,
try, make proof of, have experience of; and πείρω (peirō),
pierce, run through, cleaving a way through. It is, therefore, quite evident
that Ēpeiros is the level or amount proven by experience or experiment
to be gentle and appropriate, to begin with. Epeiros accompanied her parents Cadmus
and Harmonia while carrying the dead body of her brother Pentheus
(the border mark passed). The Greek geographical region of Epirus (spelled
precisely like Epeiros) is mountainous and entirely above inundation level.
The stem ōni
is necessarily that of ὤνιος (ōnios), meaning for sale, to
be bought, commercially imported, goods for sale, market wares. Of course,
these include fresh and attractive products such as vegetables, fruits, and
meats. The inverse stem, inō, starts only ἰνώδης (inōdēs), meaning fibrous, sinewy, of parts of animals or plants. Inō works out,
therefore, to be the fiber; generally, the inedible parts of vegetables and
meats are difficult to chew or digest. This is confirmed by the simple
verb, αἵνω (ainō), to sift, winnow if the word is read with a
privative a- prefix as a-inō (de-fiber). The daughter of
Cadmus (feeder) and Harmonia (viscous fluid, soup, broth), Ino represents the
fibrous byproducts of foods. She married Athamas (Ἀθάμας), made up of atha-,
-tham-, -thama-, and -amas, which sum up to not verdant,
withered, very dense and hard, imperturbable, unchewable, pointing to unused
parts of foods. These unused parts (Athamas) and the fiber (Ino) gave birth to
two sons, Learchus (Λέαρχος; Learchos), the sausage, and Melicertes
(Μελικέρτης; Melikertēs), i.e., other transformed and preserved foods
stuffed in animal intestines (Table
4).
Table 4. Semantic analysis of Athamas, Learchos, and Melikertēs.
|
AThAMAS |
Sememes |
|
AThA |
not
verdant, withered (ἀθαλής; athalēs); undying (ἀθανής; athanēs) |
|
AThAM |
imperturbable
(ἄθαμβος; athambos) |
|
ThAMA |
thick,
frequent, often (θαμά; thama) |
|
AMAS |
unchewed
(ἀμάσητος; amasētos) |
|
|
|
|
LEARChOS |
|
|
LEA |
to
be smooth (λεάζω; leazō), triturate, pound in a mortar, grind
(λεαίνω; leainō) |
|
EAR |
blood,
juice, springtime (ἔαρ; ear); ewer (ἕαρον; ‘earon) |
|
ARCh |
begin,
make a beginning (ἄρχω; archō); rectum, anus (ἀρχός; archos) |
|
|
|
|
MELIKERTĒS |
|
|
MEL |
to
be an object of care or thought, take an interest in (μέλω; melō) |
|
MELI |
honey,
sweetgum (μέλι; meli) |
|
ELIK |
winding,
convolution, of the bowels (ἑλίκη; elikē) |
|
IKE |
make
like (ἰκελόω; ikeloō) |
|
KER |
heart-cutting
(κερτόμιος; kertomos); cut short, shear (κέρσας; kersas) |
|
ERT |
threaded,
passed through, noose, slipknot, a mesh of a net (ἐρτός; ertos) |
The eldest
daughter of Cadmus (baby bottle) and Harmonia (broth) was autonomy (Autonoë),
from αὐτονοέω (aytonoeō), to think for oneself, take care of
oneself. She married Aristaeus (Ἀρισταῖος Aristaios), the upstanding,
from the Homeric inseparable intensive prefix ἀρι- (ari-),
very, and the verb ἵστᾶμι (‘istami), to stand, make to stand, establish,
set on foot, stand firm, be set up or upright, stand up, rise up, be erected, be
built, arise, begin, take up an intellectual attitude. The upright position
(Aristaeus) was credited with the invention of many valuable arts. It was the patron of
a wide array of rustic and rural arts, crafts, skills, practices, and
traditions – practically the entire cultural activity of humans. He learned,
for example, the arts of medicine, i.e., prophecy (prediction), healing and
herblore (pharmacy) – like his half-brother, Asclepius – how to track, hunt
with an arrow (Artemis) and trap animals, dress and prepare their meat
(butchering) and skins (leather making), metal mining, blacksmithing and
metalworking, stone quarrying and stonemasonry, clay working (pottery and
ceramics), woodworking (forestry, carpentry), viniculture and production of
alcoholic beverages (wine, ale, beer, etc.), agriculture, horticulture, animal
husbandry, dairying (production and distribution of milk, cream, butter,
oxygala similar to yogurt, and cheese), how to keep chickens for their eggs,
beekeeping, along with how to produce olives and how to process them into olive
oil (Athena; see section Athena
and Athens), how to weave ropes and baskets, sheep shearing, pastoralism,
how to cultivate fruit trees and vegetable plants, the art fishing, and food
preservation (fermenting, pickling, brining, curing, smoking and drying of
foodstuffs, to mention a few.
Autonomy with the
upright position gave birth to a son called Actaeon (Ἀκταίων; Aktaiōn),
aorist of the verb ἀκταινόω (aktainoō), to lift, raise, or
ἀκταίνω (aktainō), to keep my stature erect. They also had
a daughter called Macris (Μακρίς; Makris; length, in this case, body
length, stature), the feminine of μακρός (makros; long) or
μάκρος (makros; length, size). Actaeon probably represents childhood, when the infant stands up on her feet, and adolescence, for as
long as the youth keeps gaining height. His name consists of akt- and -aiōn.
The latter stem exists independently as αἰών (aiōn), which
primarily meant a period of existence, lifetime, life, age, generation, then
acquiring more abstract connotations of an extended length of time, age, epoch,
times of, forever, perpetually, or eternity. The starting stem, akt-, is
thought to be cognate of the verb ἄγω (agō), meaning to lead, carry,
fetch, bring, take with one, bear, manage, conduct (how a person
behaves), and tons of related sememes about doing things along a line (plan,
program). It also appears, for example, in ἀκτή (aktē), headland,
foreland, promontory, edge, coastline – which must be observed for safe
navigation – in ἀκτέον (akteon, rhyming with Actaeon)
meaning one must… (lead, do, keep the peace, etc.), and in the modern term actin,
for a family of proteins that is responsible for the macro-structure
(cytoskeleton), shape, and movement of cells.
One must… implies
obligation and responsibility. The best English translation of akt-
is its straightforward Latinization, act (action, deed).
One is responsible for one’s acts is a pleonasm meaning one
is responsible for one’s obligations and responsibilities. Standing upright
(Aristaeus) and being autonomous (Autonoë) generate life-lasting obligations
and responsibilities (Actaeon), besides biological growth in size (Macris).
The youngest
daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, Semele (Σεμέλη; Semelē) is equivalent
to Roman goddess Stimula (stimulus). Hesychius glosses the common noun σεμέλη
(semelē) as ἑορτή (‘eortē), i.e., feast, festival, holiday, generally,
holiday-making, amusement, pastime, or an assembled multitude at a festival.
The original meaning of the deity was, I am afraid, a little naughtier than
that. In most of the deciphered Ancient Greek words starting with sem-,
the morpheme is followed by N for movement (see
section N). The stem semn- is allegedly associated
with the verb σέβομαι (sebomai) and inherits its sememes of reverence,
worship, holiness, divinity, feeling of shame, devotion, respect to gods, being
religious. These interpretations are already exaggerated in favor of the
supernatural (see section Rite and
worship), but the conversion of B into MN is still harder to justify.
Thus, σεμνός (semnos)
and its cognates became victims of premeditated elevation with religious
connotations to mean revered, august, holy, etc. However, the verb σεμνοποιέω (semnopoieō),
from semnos and poieō (to make), is glossed to
magnify, blow up, make something appear larger than it is. Also, the simplest
verb σεμνόω (semnoō) means to make solemn or grand, exalt,
magnify, hold the head high, give oneself airs. Therefore, semn- must
contain the sememe of becoming or making larger. Even in a seemingly religious
context[5],
this verb has been translated as to excite[6]
or to induce[7].
Among other semn- words, σεμνολογία (semnologia; semn-
+ λέγω, legō, to talk, speak, or think about) is glossed as boasting,
and σεμνολόγημα (semnologēma), as pride, anything that one
may be proud of. Boasting and pride imply stature magnification. All the
sudden, their cognate verb σεμνολογέω (semnologeō) is
inconsistently translated as to speak solemnly, and σεμνότης (semnotēs),
as solemnity, seriousness, dignity, reserve, or shyness; these are antonyms of
pride and boasting.
A clearly iconic
word, σεμελος (semelos), the masculine version of Semele
(Σεμέλη; Semelē), is glossed by Hesychius as a snail. A
snail iconically shrinks its muscular body entirely into its shell when it
feels the danger and outstretches to an impressive maximum when it feels safe. It
is precisely this extreme expansion and withdrawal responses (movement; N) to
environmental stimuli that sem and semn describe. Moreover, the
ending elē of Semelē appears independently as ἕλη (‘elē),
from the verb αἱρέω (aireō), which means to take with the hand, grasp, take
for oneself, choose (partner), join a party, or to be taken, be chosen (see section Cybele). The Romans were
right to equate Semele with Stimula. Semele literally means
expansion-by-grasping (-stimulus) and refers to the impressive expansion of
sexual organs (penis and nipples) upon manipulation and sucking. Such actions
precede and initiate sexual intercourse, i.e., Dionysus (see section Dionysus – the sex).
According to the myth, Semele was the mother of Dionysus. The stem sem
is also found in English semen, seminal,
seminar, seminary, and French semer
(to seed), implying expansion in a biological or cultural sense. The prefix semi-
describes a state before completion, therefore, a potential expansion. In
English slang, semi is used for partial erection.
The fourth and
last child of Cadmus and Harmonia was Polydorus (Πολύδωρος; Polydōros).
Today, we are accustomed to reading the prefix poly-, from πολύς (polys;
many, much), in everything that starts with this letter sequence. The remaining
part, dōros, is thought to be a masculine transformation of δῶρον (dōron), meaning gift, present, from the verbs δωρέω (dōreō) or
Homeric δωρέομαι (dōreomai), to give, bestow, present.
Thus, the name is interpreted as the much gifted, or who brings many
presents. Too easy! But who is this Polydorus? What properties does he inherit
from Cadmus (suction) and Harmonia (filler)? And what presents does he bring?
Another split is
possible. The ending -os means ‘the thing that’ (see section Vowels and diphthongs). We
are left with pol-ydōr. The starting stem, pol, is found in πόλος
(polos), which means pivot, axis, and in the root verb πολέω
(poleō), to go about, range over, move, turn up (e.g., the
soil with a plow), come into existence. The second part is ὕδωρ (‘ydōr),
water. Split this way, Polydorus is the thing that turns the water up or brings water
into existence. This is a water provider, well-drill (turning the soil
up), or water-drawing device based on suction. It is probably the latter
because, when combined with (married to) Nycteïs, Polydorus gave birth to
Labdacus.
The wife of
Polydorus, Νυκτηίς (Nyktēis; Nycteïs) begins with Ny for inward or
downward movement (see sections Mu
and N). It ends with ktē, as in κτῆσις (ktēsis), meaning acquisition,
possession, success in, ownership, property (especially of land, farm, estate),
from κτάομαι (ktaomai), to procure for oneself, get, acquire, possess, have
in store, etc. The name Nycteïs points, thus, to a drill (down,
inward-hole-movement), a private well, or, most probably, stock fluid-vessel. It
has no more to do with the night (νύξ; nyx) than it has
with νύξις (nyxis), i.e., pricking, stabbing, stinging[8].
The son of
Polydorus (water-drawer) and Nycteïs (private well) was Λάβδακος (Labdakos;
Labdacus). In Labdakos, we find lab from λαβή (labē),
the part intended for grasping, a handle, haft, grip, and λαβεῖν (labein),
to take hold of, grasp, take in hand, undertake. Then, we have abd from ἄβδελον
(abdelon), meaning low (lower), humble, near the earth, submissive,
downcast, dejected, abased in power, but ἄβδης (abdēs) is
a thing that causes great trouble or suffering. Labda (λάβδα)
is the correct Ancient Greek name of the letter Lambda (λ), which, incidentally,
looks like the force rod of an antique hand water-pump (Fig. 3.5.1). The following stem, bda, is shared
with βδάλσις (bdalsis), suction, and βδάλλω (bdallō),
to milk, yield, suck. Finally, dak must contain the sememe of dripping
fluid because δακρύω (dakryō) means to weep, shed tears,
while ῥύομαι and ἐρύω (‘ryomai and eryō) mean to rescue,
save, deliver, draw, attract, absorb; and because the inverse of dak, kad
is used in κάδος (kados), a vessel for collecting and
storing fluids such as water, wine, etc. Labdakos seems thus to be a
troublesome, low-yield, siphon-like method of drawing fluids based on the suction
(bdalsis). Could it also be a syringe? Lab
for the handle, bda for suction, akos (ἄκος; from ἀκέομαι;
akeomai) for a cure, remedy[9],
means of obtaining a thing!
Polydorus (the
sucking breath) died, the myth goes, while Labdacus (the drawn fluid volume) was
a young child (small and insufficient), leaving Nycteus as his regent
(alternative method). However, Lycus (Λύκος, Lykos) soon replaced
him in that office[10].
Nycteus, the father of Nycteïs and father-in-law of Labdacus, was a fluid
source (see section Ey), i.e.,
fluid drawing, based on a simple puncture of the container made with a drill or
with impact. A stopper (Lycus; Latin lupus; a carpenter’s tool, stopper,
or tap shaped like a wolf’s conical tooth) replaced the puncture later to stop
leaking. The common noun λύκος (lykos) is glossed as the wolf, but
also as to be struck dumb, i.e., to have one’s mouth forcedly closed. When
Labdacus had grown, he ruled Thebes (used in many minor innovations) for a short while.
He died while he was still young after losing a war with the king of Athens,
Pandion, over their borders. This king of Athens (the olive trees; see section Athena and Athens) is the
olive oil. The siphon effect (Labdacus) died when the interphase (border)
between water and oil reached the inlet orifice of the siphon tube. The oil
took over, and Labdacus lost the battle. Pandion (Πανδίων; Pandiōn) was
probably a mixture of water and oil (ruling the olive oil market), with the two
phases separating during transfer.
Claims
Cadmus = baby bottle
Pandion = mixture of oil and water
Labdacus = siphon-like method for drawing liquids, syringe
Nycteïs = private well, a stock fluid vessel
Polydorus = well drill, water suction devise
Noble families of Thebes = the groups of teeth
Autonoë = autonomy
Learchos = sausage
Melicertes = transformed and preserved foods stuffed in animal intestines
Athamas = unused parts of food products
Epeiros or Epiros = the optimal, or the highest amount allowed
Thebes = innovation
Cognates
Agave: French gaver
References
Aristotle. 2015. The History of Animals. Translated by D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. Aeterna Press.
Reece, Steve. 2009. Homer’s Winged Words: The Evolution of Early Greek Epic Diction in the Light of Oral Theory. Leiden: Brill.
[2] This is Apollodorus’ listing (Apollod.
3.4.1). Pausanias lists the Spartoi in a different order: Chthonius,
Hyperenor, Pelorus, Udaeus, and Echion (Paus.
9.5.3); and Hyginus in yet another: Chthonius, Udaeus, Hyperenor, Pelorus,
and Echion Hyginus,
Fabulae 178 in Theoi.com).
[5] σεμνοποιεῖ τὸ θεῖον in Strab.
10.3.9.
[6] Strab.
10.3.9 translated by H C Hamilton, W Falconer.
[7] Strab.
10.3.9 translated by H. L. Jones.
[8] Νύξ and νύξις are related (see
section Ladon and the Hesperides).
[10] Paus.
9.5.4-5.