κηθίδιον

κηθίς, ίδος, ἡ,

A dice-box, prob. in Poll.7.203:—[var] Dim. [full] κήθιον, Hermipp. 27, [full] κηθίδιον, Poll.10.150.—Wrongly written [full] κητίον, Alciphr. 1.39, Ath.11.477d cod. A:—[full] χείτιον, [dialect] Ion. [full] κείθιον, Eust.1259.36. (Ath.l.c. derives it from χείσεται, [tense] fut. of χανδάνω.)

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `dice-box, -beaker' (Poll. 7, 203; not quite certain);

Dialectal forms: perh. Myc. kati \/kāthis\/? Neumann Glotta 39 (1961) 176 thinks it is Luwian.

Derivatives: Diminutive formations: κήθιον, - ειον, - ίον (Hermipp. 27, Poll., H.), κηθάριον (Ar. V. 674), κηθίδιον (Poll.); also with metathesis of aspiration χείτιον beside κείθιον (Eust. 1259, 36) and with loss of aspiration κητίον (Alkiphr. 1, 39, 8 [Frisk notes ` κηπίον Bast.' which is unclear to me], Ath. 11, 477d cod. A).

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

Etymology: Technical word without etymology. Fick and Solmsen KZ 33, 295f. compare κώθων `beaker' which seems improbable. - Cf. κάθος σπυρίς H., also κάθιδοι (for - ίδες?) ὑδρίαι H. (vgl. s. v.). Is κητίον reliable? if so it would be a Pre-Greek word. The change of aspiration is Ionic but the change η \/ ει is typical of Pre-Grek; (Fur. 352); a Pre-Greek word is anyhow probable.

Page in Frisk: 1,837