Μηλί-βοκον ὄρος

μῆλον 2

Grammatical information: n., mostly pl. -α

Meaning: `small cattle, sheep and goats' (Il.); μηλάτων Lyc. 106 after προβάτων.

Other forms: (also Dor.).

Compounds: Often as 1. member, e.g. μηλο-βότης, Dor. - τας `shepherd' (Pi., E.), also - βοτήρ (Σ 529, h. Merc. 286) in - βοτῆρας at verse-end, after the simplex (Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 65, Chantraine Form. 323, Risch $13d, Shipp Studies 66); μηλάταν τὸν ποιμένα. Βοιωτοί H., haplological for μηλ-ηλάταν or for μηλόταν after βοηλάταν (Bechtel Gött. Nachr. 1919, 345, Dial. 1,307); on μηλ-ολόνθη s. v. Rarely as 2. member, only in some bahuvrihis (diff. - μηλον `apple', s. v.), e.g. πολύ-μηλος `with many sheep' (Il.); also in PN, e.g. Boeot. Πισί-μειλος.

Derivatives: μήλειος `belonging to the small cattle' (Ion., E.), μηλόται ποιμένες H. (Fraenkel Nom. ag. 2, 129, Schwyzer 500), μηλωτή f. `sheepskin' (Philem. Com., hell.; like κηρωτή a.o.) with Μηλώσιος surn. of Zeus (Corc., Naxos), prop. "who is wrapped in a sheepskin" (Nilsson Gr. Rel. 1, 395f.).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Old word for `small cattle', which is well attested in Celtic, e.g. OIr. mil n. `small animal', and is sporadically found also in Westgerm., e.g. in OLFranc. māla `cow', Dutch maal `young cow' (here also the old name of the Harz, Μηλί-βοκον ὄρος?). -- Against these words, which all can go back on IE * mēlo-, stands with a-vowel Arm. mal `sheep', also SmRuss. mal' f. `small cattle, young sheep', Russ. (Crimea) malíč `kind of Crimea-sheep'. It eems obvious to sonnect these words with the general Slav. adj. for `small', e.g. OCS malъ, Russ. mályj. A further step leads to the Germ. word for `small, narrow' in Goth. smals etc., which is often used of small cattle, e.g. OWNo. smale m. `small animal', OHG smalaz fihu ' Schmal- vieh, small cattle'. If we posit IE *( s)mēl-, ( s)mōl- (OCS malь etc.), ( s)mǝl- (Arm. mal, Goth. smals etc.)[this means * smHlo-?], it would seem possible, to bring all words mentioned together. [For Arm. mal Ačar̄yan HAB III²224 proposes a loan from Arabic.] All this does not lead to a probable solution. -- Fick 1, 519, however, thinks for the μῆλον-group of * mē- `bleat' (s. μηκάομαι). -- Cf. WP. 2, 296f (with open doubt), Pok. 724, W.-Hofmann s. 3. malus, Vasmer s. mályj.

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