Εἰλειθυ(ι)αῖον

Meaning: Name of the birthgoddes(ses), often in plur (Ion.-Att.). Also Έλείθυια (Pi., inscr.), Εἰλήθυια (Call., Paus. a. o.), Έλεύθυια (Cret.), Έλευθίη (Paros), Έλευθία, with assibilation Έλευσία (Lakon.); and other variants. Short form Έλευθώ (AP a. o.) and quite different Εἰλιόνεια (Plu. 2, 277b; correct?). On the forms Kalén Quaest. gramm. graecae 8 A. 1.

Dialectal forms: Myc. Ereutija

Derivatives: Εἰλειθυ(ι)αῖον `Tempel des E.' (Delos), Ίλύθυιον (ibid.)

Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]

Etymology: Unknown. If. 'Ελεύθυια is the old form, through dissimilation (or after 'Ωρείθυια?; s. Kalén l. c.) Έλείθυια and, with metr. lengthening, Εἰλείθυια? Schulze Q. 260f. connects ἐλευθ- with ἐλεύσομαι, ἤλυθον. Wackernagel too (s. Nilsson Gr. Rel. I², 313) starts from Έλεύθυια, which he considers because of the PN Έλευθέρνα as Pre-Greek. Also Güntert Kalypso 38 n. 3, 258 takes Ε(ἰ)λείθυια as Pre-Greek, which was adapted to ἐλεύθ-ω `bring' (Dor.;) as `who brings forth' vgl. Lat. Fortuna: ferre).-Not with Theander (s. Nilsson l.c. n 11) to ελελευ. Diff. Vürtheim; s. the criticism by Kretschmer Glotta 16, 192; also Kerenyi Saeculum 1,241. Beekes, Studies Watkins 24f, shows that the suffix - υια is Pre-Greek.