λειτορεύω

λειτορεύω ([etym.] λείτωρ),

A = ἱερεύω, IG9(2).397.1, 1228.3, al. (Thess.), Arch.Pap.9.215 (Egypt?).

λείτωρ, ορος, ὁ,

A priest,

ἀρωγὸς λ. Ath.Mitt.12.283

([place name] Athens); λείτορες· ἱέρειαι (fort. ἱερεῖς), Hsch.; cf. λείτειραι, λειτορεύω, ὁμολείτωρ, λῃτῆρες, λήτωρ.

λήτωρ, ορος, ὁ,

A priest, prob. in IG5(2).405 ([place name] Lusi); cf. λείτωρ, λειτορεύω, λῃτῆρες.

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `priest' (postclass. Att. inscr.), ὁμο-λείτωρ = συλ-λειτουργός (Att. inscr. II^p), λείτορες ἱέρειαι H.; λητῆρες ἱεροὶ στεφανηφόροι. Άθαμᾶνες H., f. λήτειραι ἱέρειαι τῶν σεμνῶν θεῶν H. (Call. Fr. 123), λείτειρη ἱέρειαι H. (Boeot.); uncertain λετορο\<ς\> (IG 5: 2, 405, Arc.).

Other forms: ὁμο-λείτωρ = συλ-λειτουργός (Att. inscr. II^p), λείτορες ἱέρειαι H.; λητῆρες ἱεροὶ στεφανηφόροι. Άθαμᾶνες H., f. λήτειραι ἱέρειαι τῶν σεμνῶν θεῶν H. (Call. Fr. 123), λείτειρη ἱέρειαι H. (Boeot.); uncertain λετορο\<ς\> (IG 5: 2, 405, Arc.).

Compounds: PG [Pre-Greek] [Pre-Greek]

Derivatives: Denomin. λειτορεύω 'be λείτωρ' (Thess. since II^a; also Egypt.?, s. Wilhelm Arch. f. Pap. 9, 214ff.). Details on spread etc. s. E. Kretschmer Glotta 18, 83 f., also Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 145, Bechtel Dial. 1, 207f., Benveniste Noms d'ag. 47 n. Cf. also ἀλήτωρ ἱερεύς H; further λετωρ `priest' inscr. Arcadia. The prothetic vowel seems to point to a Pre-Greek word; cf. DELG s.v. λήτωρ.

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Because of the form λητῆρες which is ascribed to the northwestern Athamanes and (if correctly explained) Arc. λετορο\<ς\> Thess.-Boeot. λει- seems to stand for PGr. λη- (Att. λείτωρ a loan from Boeot.?). For the same reason the semantically attractive connection with λήϊ-τος, ληΐτη and λῄτη ' ἱέρεια', λειτουργός (s. λαός) makes difficulties; as secondary suffix - τωρ, - τηρ (for - της) is remarkable. Other hypotheses: to λάτρον (L.Meyer, Prellwitz); to λίσσομαι, λιταί (Hoffmann Dial. 2, 328).

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