θεμι(σ)-τεύω

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `deal out, dispense, distribute (among themselves, possess, inhabit, manage, pasture, consume, devour'.

Other forms: - ομαι, aor. νεῖμαι (Il.), - ασθαι, pass. νεμηθῆναι, fut. νεμῶ, - οῦμαι (Ion. - έομαι, late - ήσω, - ήσομαι), perf. νενέμηκα,- ημαι (Att. etc.).

Compounds: Often w. prefix, e.g. ἀπο-, ἐπι-, κατα-, προσ-.

Derivatives: Several derivv: A. νομή f. `pasture', metaph. `spreading', e.g. of an ulcer, `distribution' (IA.), `possession, possessio' (hell.). With ἐπι-, προ-νομή etc. from ἐπι-, προ-νέμειν, - εσθαι etc. Also νομός m. `*place of) pasture' (Il.), `habitation' (Pi., Hdt., S.), `province' (Hdt., D. S., Str.). From νομή or νομός (not always with certainty to be distinguished): 1. νομάς, - άδος `roaming the pasture', subst. pl. `pastoral people, nomads' (IA.), as PN `Numidians' (Plb.); from this νομαδ-ικός `roaming, belonging to pastoral peoples, Numidian' (Arist.), - ίτης `id.' (Suid.), - ίαι f. pl. `pasture' with - ιαῖος (Peripl. M. Rubr.). -- 2. νομεύς m. `herdsman' (II.), also `distributor' (Pl.), pl. `ribs of a ship' (Hdt.); from this (or from νομός?) νομεύω `pasture' (Il.) with νόμευ-μα n. `herd' (A.), - τικός `belonging to pasturage' (Pl.; Chantraine Études 135 u. 137); διανομ-εύς (: διανομή), προνομ-εύω (: προ-νομή) etc. -- 3. νόμιος `regarding the pasture', also as adjunct of several gods (Pi., Ar., Call.); cf. on νόμος; νομαῖος `id.' (Nic., Call.); νομώδης `spreading', of an ulcer (medic.). -- 4. νομάζω, - ομαι `pasture' (Nic.). -- B. νόμος m. `custom, usage, law, composition' (since Hes.) with several compp., e.g. Ἔννομος PN (Il.), εὔ-νομος `with good laws' (Pi.) with εὑνομ-ίη, - ία `good laws' (since ρ 487; on the meaning Andrewes Class Quart. 32, 89 ff.). From νόμος: 1. adj. νόμιμος `usual, lawful' (IA.; extens. Arbenz 72ff.) with νομιμότης f. (Iamb.); νομικός `regarding the laws, forensic, lawyer' (Pl., Arist.; Chantraine Études 132); νόμαιος = νόμιμος (Ion. a. late); νόμιος `id.' (Locris; cf. on νομός). -- 2. Verb νομίζω, rarely w. prefix, e.g. συν-, κατα-, `use customarily, use to, recognize, believe' (IA., Dor.; Fournier Les verbes "dire" passim) with νόμισις f. `belief' (Th.), νόμισμα n. `use, recognized belief, (valid) coin' (IA.), - άτιον dimin. (Poll.); νομιστός `generally recognized' with νομιστεύομαι `be generally valid' (Plb.), also νομιτεύομαι `id., use' (hell. a. late inscr.; cf. θεμι(σ)-τεύω). -- C. νεμέτωρ, - ορος m. `dispensor (of justice), avenger' (A. Th. 485); νέμησις f., also ἀπο-, δια-, ἐπι- etc. from ἀπο-νέμω etc., `distribution' (Is., Arist.); νεμ-ητής = νεμέτωρ (Poll.) with - ήτρια f. (inscr. Rom, IV<sup>p</sup>); uncertain Νεμήϊος surname of Zeus (Archyt. ap. Stob.); perh. for Νέμειος (from Νεμέα). On νέμεσις s. v. -- D. Deverbatives: νεμέθω, - ομαι `pasture' (Λ 635, Nic.); νωμάω, - ῆσαι also with ἐπι-, ἀμφι-, προσ-, `distribute, maintain, observe' (Il., Hdt.; Schwyzer 719, Risch Gnomon 24, 82) with νώμ-ησις (Pl. Cra. 41 1d), - ήτωρ `distributor, maintainer etc.' (Man., Nonn.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [763] * nem- `dispense, distribute; take'

Etymology: The whole Greek system including ablauting νομή, νόμος, νομός is built on the present νέμω. The full grade νεμέ-τωρ, νέμε-σις, νέμη-σις a.o. follow wellknown patterns ( γενέ-τωρ γένε-σις u.a.; but these are disyllabic roots); an agreeing zero grade fails. There never existed a "disyllabic root" e.g. Fraenkel Nom. ag. 2, 11). -- The widespread meanings of νέμω plus derivations provide a problem, which has hardly been definitely solved; Benveniste Noms d'agent 79 rightly stresses the idea of lawfull, regular, which characterizes the verb νέμω ("partager légalement, faire une attribution régulière"). Further lit.: E. Laroche Histoire de la racine nem- en grec ancien (Paris 1949; Études et Comm.VI); on νόμος esp. Stier Phil. 83, 224ff., Pohlenz Phil. 97, 135ff., Porzig Satzinhalte 260, Bolelli Stud. itfilcl. N.S.24, 110f.; on νομή, - ός Wilhelm Glotta 24, 133ff. (ἐν χειρῶν νομῳ̃, - αῖς). -- Of non-Greek words, that are interesting for the etymology, the Germanic verb for `take' agrees best to νέμω, Goth. niman etc.; further Latv. ńęmu, ńem̂t `take' (with secondary palatalisation of the anlaut). One might mention several nouns, which tell nothing for Greek: Av. nǝmah- n. `loan', Lat. numerus `number etc.', OIr. nem f. `gift' (cf. Gift: geben; also δόσις), Lith. nùoma f. `rent' (vowel as in νω-μάω). -- The with νέμω also formally identical verb Skt. námati `bow, bend' can only be combined with uncontrollable hypotheses. After Laroche (s. above) p. 263 νέμω would prop be. `faire le geste de se pencher en tendant la main'. -- Lit. and further details in WP. 2, 330f., Pok. 763 f., W.-Hofmann s. numerus and nummus (from νόμιμος?), also emō, Fraenkel Wb. s. núoma(s), and nãmas, Mayrhofer s. námati. Cf. also νέμος.

Page in Frisk: 2, 302