μελί-κηρᾰ

μελί-κηρᾰ [ῐ], ἡ,

A spawn of the murex, as being like a honeycomb, Arist. HA 546b19.

2 gloss on κοπρίων (v.l. for κηρίων), Gal.19.113.

II = μελικηρίς II, Pherecr.25.

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `wax' (Od.).

Compounds: Often as 1. member, e. g. in κηρό-δε-τος `with wax fitted together' (Theoc. a. o.), κηρο-πλάσ-της `wax-sculptor' (Pl.), κηρο-τακ-ίς f. "hot plate", (to keep wax paints hot) ( PHolm. 6, 33; cf. Lagercrantz ad loc.); as 2. member e. g. in πισσό-κηρος m. `propolis, a mix of resin and wax, with which bees line their hives, bee-bread' (Arist., Plin.; beside it κηρό-πισσος `ointment from wax and resin' [Hp.], cf. Risch IF 59, 58), μελί-κηρος `bee-wax' (pap.); beside it: μελι-κήρ-ιον `honeycomb' (Sm.), μελι-κηρ-ίς `id.', metaph. `cyst or wen' (which resembles a honeycomb) (Hp., pap.), μελί-κηρᾰ f. `spawn of the murex' (Arist.).

Derivatives: 1. κηρίον `wax-cake, honeycomb' (IA. h. Merc. 559; Zumbach Neuerungen 11) with κηρίδιον (Aët.), κηριώδης `honeycomb-like' (Thphr.), κηρίωμα `tearing eyes' (S. Fr. 715), κηριάζω `spawn', of the purple (snail), as its spawn resembles a honeycomb (Arist.). - 2. κήρινος `of wax' (Alcm., Att.) with κηρίνη (sc. ἔμπλαστρος) name of a plaster (medic.); 3. κήρινθος m. `bee-bread' (Arist., Plin., H.; on the identical GN s. v. Blumenthal ZONF 13, 251); 4. κηρίων, - ωνος `wax-candle, -torch' (Plu., Gal.; Chantraine Formation 165, Schwyzer 487); 5. κηρών, - ῶνος `bee-hive' (sch.); 6. κηρίς fish-name = κιρρίς? (Diph. Siph., Alex. Trall.; s. κιρρός), prob. after the yellow colour; cf. Strömberg Fischnamen 20f., Thompson Fishes s. v.; 7. κηρῖτις ( λίθος) `wax-like stone' (Plin. HN 37, 153: "cerae similis"; Redard Les noms grecs en - της 55); 8. *κηροῦσσα in Lat. cērussa `white-lead' ( Plaut.; cf. W.-Hofmann s. v. and Friedmann Die jon. u. att. Wörter im Altlatein 94f.). - Denominative verbs: 1. κηρόομαι, - όω `be covered with wax resp. cover' (Hp., Herod., AP) with κήρωσις `bee-wax' (Arist.); κήρωμα `wax-ointment, -plaster' (Hp.; cf. Chantraine Formation 186f., Lat. cērōma), - ματικός, - ματίτης, - ματιστής (Redard 47); κηρωτή `id.' (Hp., Ar., Dsc.) with κηρωτάριον `id.' (medic.); 2. κηρίζω `look like wax' (Zos. Alch.).

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

Etymology: The connexion by Curtius 149 with a Baltic word for `honeycomb', Lith. korỹs, Latv. kâre(s), is rejected or doubted by several scholars (Osthoff Etym. parerga 1, 18ff., Fraenkel Lit. et. Wb. s. korỹs, Specht Ursprung 52). As a Dor. *κᾱρός cannot be shown (Osthoff l. c.) and as borrowing of IA. κηρός in another language cannot be demonstrated, the comparison seems impossible (Lith. has IE.ā, the Greek form ē). As further for the Indoeuropeans bee-culture can hardly be expected (on IE. names for the products of bees s. on μέλι and μέθυ), one must reckon for κηρός with foreign origin (cf. Haupt Actes du 16<sup>éme</sup> congr. des orientalistes [1912] 84f., Schrader-Nehring Reallex. 1, 140f., Chantraine Formation 371, Deroy Glotta 35, 190, Alessio Studi etr. 19, 161ff., Belardi Doxa 3, 210). - From κηρός prob. as LW [loanword] Lat. cēra (-a after tabella, crēta; details in W.-Hofmann s. v.); from Lat. cēreolus Gr. κηρίολος `wax-candle' (Ephesos II^p). The word κήρινθος `bee-bread' seems Pre-Greek. Wrong Huld in EIEC 637

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