αἰθ-άλη

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `to limit one's breath, to asphyxiate by squeezing, water or vapour, to choke, to drown, to be drowned', also `to muffle, to smother' (Epich., Sophr., IA.); on the meaning `to drown, to be drowned' Schulze BerlAkSb. 1918, 320ff. = Kl. Schr. 148 ff.

Other forms: Aor. πνῖξαι, intr. a. pass. πνῐγ-ῆναι w. fut. - ήσομαι, late πνιχθῆναι, perf. midd. πέπνιγμαι.

Compounds: Also w. prefix, esp. ἀπο- and κατα-.

Derivatives: Several nom. actionis: 1. πνῖγος n. `smothery heat' (IA.; opposite ῥῖγος); 2. πνῖγ-μα n. `suffocating' (Hp.), - μός m. `id.' (Hp., X., Arist.) with - μώδης `suffocating' (Hp.), - μονή f. `id.' (Hdn. Epim.: cf. φλεγμονή, πημονή); 3. πνῖξις ( κατά- πνί̄γω) f. `choking, asphyxiation' (Arist., Thphr.), `drowning' ( PMag. Par.); 4. πνίξ, - γός f. `choking, asphyxiation' (Hp., Dsc.; like φρίξ a.o.; Chantraine Form. 2 f.); 5. πνιγετός m. = πνῖγος (Ptol.; H. s. ἀγχόνη); as πυρ-, παγ-ετός; 6. περιπνιγ-ή f. `suffocation' (Vett. Val.). Nom. agentis: 6. πνῐγεύς m. "suffocator", `cover for extinguishing the coals' (Ar., Arist.), `air chamber' (Hero, Ph. Bel.), `muzzle' (com.), prob. analog. from πνίγω, πνῐγῆναι after τρῑ̃βω, τρῐβ-ῆναι: -ή: - εύς a.o.; vgl. Bosshardt 48; 7. πνικτήρ m. `choker, choking' (Nonn.). Further 8. πνιγ-ῖτις (sc. γῆ) `kind of clay' (Dsc., Plin.; Redard 109; prob. from πνῖγος); 9. - αλίων, - ωνος m. `nightmare, incubus' (medic.); like αἰθαλ-ίων: αἰθ-άλη: αἴθω; 10. πνῑ-γηρός `smothery', esp. `smotheryly hot' (Hp., Att.; from πνῖγος or πνίγω); 11. πνῐγόεις `id.' (Nic., AP; ῐ metr. condit.); 12. περι-, συμ-πνῐγ-ής `suffocated' (Nic., J., D.S., after πνῐγ-ῆναι); 13. πνικτός `steamed, smothered' (com.), `airtight' (Hero), `suffocated, choked' ( Act. Ap.); 14. enlarged πνιγ-ίζω `to choke, to strangle' (AP; influenced by πυγ-ίζω).

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

Etymology: Popular expressive verb without certain connection; one has thought of a cross of several words. The anlaut reminds of πνέω, the auslaut of φρύγω, φώγω, the vowel of κνίψ a. cogn., also of MLG knīpen (s. Κνίφων), but there is no basis for a certain decision. The comparison with some Germ. words for `snuffle', e.g. OHG fnaskazzen (Fick BB 7, 95 etc.; s. Bq and WP. 2, 85), is both semantically and especially phonetically and formally (πνῑγ- from *pn_ezg- [with reduced vowel]??; but fnaskazzen to OWNo. fnasa) quite unsatisfactory. -- The short in πνῐγ-ῆναι etc. can be analogal. -- So no etym.; is the word Pre-Greek?

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