Μέθων

Grammatical information: n.

Meaning: `entoxicating drink, wine' (Il.).

Other forms: gen. - υος (Pl. Epigr., Nic.)

Compounds: As 1. member e.g. in μεθυ-πλήξ, - γος `hit by wine, drunk' (Call., APl.).

Derivatives: Denomin. verbs: μεθύ-σκομαι (ɪæ.), aor. μεθυ-σθῆναι (Alc., IA.) `intoxicate oneself, be(come) drunk'; act. μεθύ-σκω, aor. μεθύ(σ)-σαι, fut. μεθῠ́σω `intoxicate oneself' (Pl., hell.); μεθύ-ω only presentstem = - ύσκομαι, often metaph. (Od.). Several verbal nouns: 1. μέθη f. `drunkenness, intoxication' (IA.; backformation from μεθύω after πληθυω: πλήθη, Wackernagel Unt. 131 n. 3); 2. μέθυσις `intoxication' (Thgn.; after πόσις, Porzig Satzinhalte 190) ; 3. μέθυσμα `intoxicating drink' (LXX, Ph.). 4. μέθυσος (- ση) m. f. `drunkard' (Hecat., Ar.; first of women; Schwyzer 516, Chantraine Form. 435), also μεθύσης `id.' (Ath., Luc.; to stress the substantival character); 5. μεθυστής `id.' (Arr., AP), f. - ύστρια (Theopomp. Com.), - υστάς ( Trag. Adesp.; Fraenkel Nom. ag. 2, 37). 6. μεθυστκός `dipsomaniac, intoxicating' (Pl., Arist.); 7. μεθύσιον εἶδος ἀμπέλου H. (cf. Strömberg Pflanzennamen 91); 8. μεθυμναῖος surn. of Dionysos (Plu.); joking transformation of Μηθυμναῖος (from Μήθυμνα), after H. surn. of Dionysos (Wackernagel l.c.). -- PN, e.g. Μέθων, - υλλος, - ύσκος. -- On ἀ-μέθυ-στος s. v. On NGr. μεθύρα, - ύριον `wine-cask' Georgacas Μνήμης χάριν 1, 115ff.

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [707] * medhu `honey, intoxicating drink'

Etymology: Old word for `honey', which remained in most languages, e.g. Skt. mádhu n. `honey', Av. maδu n. `currant-wine', Slav., e.g. OCS medъ `honey', Balt., e.g. Lith. medùs `id.', Germ., e.g. OWNo. mjođr, OHG metu m. ' Met', Celt., e.g. OIr. mid `id.', Toch. B mit `honey', IE *médhu n. The meaning `honey' was in Greek limited to the also inherited μέλι; further the achaic μέθυ, which as opposed to its derivatives, was soon abandoned, referred to wine. -- Details in WP. 2, 261, Pok. 707, Fraenkel Wb. s. medùs, Vasmer Wb. s. méd.

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