μεθήρα

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `mous, rat' (IA. etc.), metaph. of sea-animals `mussel, kind of whale etc.' (A. Fr. 34 [= 59 Mette]; details in Thompson Fishes s.v., on the motive for the name Strömberg Fischnamen 109 f.); `muscle' (Hp., Arist.; cf. below).

Other forms: μῦν (analog., s.bel.)

Compounds: Compp., e.g. μυ-γαλῆ (- έη) f. `shrew-mouse' (Hdt., com., Arist.), μυο-θήρας m. `mouse-catching snake' (Arist., Sch.) from where NGr. μεθήρα f. `snake' (Georgacas Μνήμης χάριν 1, 120ff.), ἄ-μυος `without muscle' (Hp.), also μυσ-κέλενδρα n. pl. `mouse-dung' (Dsc., Moer., Poll., H.); for the 2. member cf. Lat. mūs-cerda `id.', but in detail unclear (Schwyzer 533, Schulze Kl. Schr. 394, Specht Ursprung 172).

Derivatives: 1. Diminut.: μυΐδιον (Arr., M. Ant.), also μύδιον `small boat' (D. S.), `small forceps' (medic.); μυΐσκη, - ος `small sea-mussel' (hell.). -- 2. μύαξ, - ᾰκος -n. `sea-mussel' (Dsc., medic.) with μυάκιον (Aët.). -- 3. μυών, - ῶνος m. `muscleballs, -knot' (P 315 a. 324, A. R., Theoc.; Schwyzer 488, Chantraine Form. 162). -- 4. μυωνία (rather - ιά) f. prop. `mouse-hole', `vulva' as term of abuse for a lewd wife (Epicr. 9, 4), directly from μῦς like ἰ-ωνιά from ἴον (s.v.) a.o.; more in Scheller Oxytonierung 45 f., 70 f. -- 5. Adj. μυώδης `muscular' D. S., Plu.), also `mouse-like' (Plu.); μύειος `belonging to the mouse' (An. Ox.), μύϊνος `with the colour of a mouse' (EM, Phot.). -- 6. μυω-τός adjunct of χιτών ('mouse-coloured', `of mouse-skin'?; Poll.); name of a arrow-point (Paul. Aeg.), also `with muscles' (Clearch.), with μυόομαι, - όω `be, become muscular; make' (medic.). -- On μυελός s. v. On several plant names s. Amigues, RPh. LXXIV, 2000, 273f.

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [752] * muHs `mouse'

Etymology: Old IE name of the mouse, in several languages retained: Lat. mūs, mūr-is, Germ., e.g. OHG mūs, Skt. mū́ṣ- etc.; Gr. acc. μῦ-ν is therefore secondary for *μῦ(σ)α (to μῡ(σ)-ός etc.) after ὗν (: ὗς, ὑ-ός) a.o. On the accent in μῦς Berger Münch. Stud. 3, 7. The vowellength was caused by a laryngeal (wrong Schwyzer 350), for which there are two indications; the accent of SCr. mȉš ; Toch. B maścitse `mous', with mas- \< * mwa- \<* muHs-. An old form with short vowel is - wrongly - supposed in Skt. muṣ-ká- m. `testis', cf. 2. μόσχος. -- The metaph. meaning `muscle' (after the mouse-like movement of certain muscles under the skin) can be observed more often, except in Greek and Germ. (OHG a. OE, where esp. `muscle of the upper arm') also in Lat. mūs-culus `small mouse, Muskel', Arm. mu-kn `mouse, muscle'. -- Quite hypothetic is the derivation from the verb, only in Skt., for `steal' muṣ- (pres. mus-ṇā-ti, móṣati), thus a.o. Thieme Die Heimat d. idg. Gemeinspr. 36.

Page in Frisk: 2,275-276

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `mous, rat' (IA. etc.), metaph. of sea-animals `mussel, kind of whale etc.' (A. Fr. 34 [= 59 Mette]; details in Thompson Fishes s.v., on the motive for the name Strömberg Fischnamen 109 f.); `muscle' (Hp., Arist.; cf. below).

Other forms: μῦν (analog., s.bel.)

Compounds: Compp., e.g. μυ-γαλῆ (- έη) f. `shrew-mouse' (Hdt., com., Arist.), μυο-θήρας m. `mouse-catching snake' (Arist., Sch.) from where NGr. μεθήρα f. `snake' (Georgacas Μνήμης χάριν 1, 120ff.), ἄ-μυος `without muscle' (Hp.), also μυσ-κέλενδρα n. pl. `mouse-dung' (Dsc., Moer., Poll., H.); for the 2. member cf. Lat. mūs-cerda `id.', but in detail unclear (Schwyzer 533, Schulze Kl. Schr. 394, Specht Ursprung 172).

Derivatives: 1. Diminut.: μυΐδιον (Arr., M. Ant.), also μύδιον `small boat' (D. S.), `small forceps' (medic.); μυΐσκη, - ος `small sea-mussel' (hell.). -- 2. μύαξ, - ᾰκος -n. `sea-mussel' (Dsc., medic.) with μυάκιον (Aët.). -- 3. μυών, - ῶνος m. `muscleballs, -knot' (P 315 a. 324, A. R., Theoc.; Schwyzer 488, Chantraine Form. 162). -- 4. μυωνία (rather - ιά) f. prop. `mouse-hole', `vulva' as term of abuse for a lewd wife (Epicr. 9, 4), directly from μῦς like ἰ-ωνιά from ἴον (s.v.) a.o.; more in Scheller Oxytonierung 45 f., 70 f. -- 5. Adj. μυώδης `muscular' D. S., Plu.), also `mouse-like' (Plu.); μύειος `belonging to the mouse' (An. Ox.), μύϊνος `with the colour of a mouse' (EM, Phot.). -- 6. μυω-τός adjunct of χιτών ('mouse-coloured', `of mouse-skin'?; Poll.); name of a arrow-point (Paul. Aeg.), also `with muscles' (Clearch.), with μυόομαι, - όω `be, become muscular; make' (medic.). -- On μυελός s. v. On several plant names s. Amigues, RPh. LXXIV, 2000, 273f.

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [752] * muHs `mouse'

Etymology: Old IE name of the mouse, in several languages retained: Lat. mūs, mūr-is, Germ., e.g. OHG mūs, Skt. mū́ṣ- etc.; Gr. acc. μῦ-ν is therefore secondary for *μῦ(σ)α (to μῡ(σ)-ός etc.) after ὗν (: ὗς, ὑ-ός) a.o. On the accent in μῦς Berger Münch. Stud. 3, 7. The vowellength was caused by a laryngeal (wrong Schwyzer 350), for which there are two indications; the accent of SCr. mȉš ; Toch. B maścitse `mous', with mas- \< * mwa- \<* muHs-. An old form with short vowel is - wrongly - supposed in Skt. muṣ-ká- m. `testis', cf. 2. μόσχος. -- The metaph. meaning `muscle' (after the mouse-like movement of certain muscles under the skin) can be observed more often, except in Greek and Germ. (OHG a. OE, where esp. `muscle of the upper arm') also in Lat. mūs-culus `small mouse, Muskel', Arm. mu-kn `mouse, muscle'. -- Quite hypothetic is the derivation from the verb, only in Skt., for `steal' muṣ- (pres. mus-ṇā-ti, móṣati), thus a.o. Thieme Die Heimat d. idg. Gemeinspr. 36.

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