καὶ μηλωταί

Grammatical information: m. pl.

Meaning: `legs and feet of a sheep-skin', generally `offal' (Ar. V. 672 only).

Other forms: Cf. ἀργίλοφοι· λαπάραι κωδίων [read: κῳδίων `sheepskin']· οἱ δε πρωκτόν. καὶ μηλωταί (`sheepskin') H.

Dialectal forms: Acc. to the sch. and AB 8 Attic for ποδεῶνες `ragged ends of the skins of animals'.

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

Etymology: Derivation from ἀργός (but a form in - ε- is then impossible) and λόφος "kann jedenfalls unmöglich richtig sein" (Frisk). One is inclined to consider it as a momentary creation of Aristophanes, but how could his audience then have understood him? Rather simply a word that we do not know. Fur. 358 adduces the gloss with - ι-, which prob. demonstrates a substr. origin. He calls the gloss "völlig unklar", but it is clearly the useless parts of a sheep(skin) (also the meanings `anus' or `membrum virile' (for ποδεών)). A Pre-Gr. word seems probable (e.g. *arg-al^y-ap- or - apʷ-?).

Page in Frisk: 1,131