μομβρώ

μόλυχνον· δυσταλέον, Hsch. [full] μομβρώ,

A = μορμώ, Id., Suid. ( μολυβρώ codd.). [full] μομμώ, = foreg., Hsch.

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `bogey, spectre', also personified and as interjection (Erinn. [?], Ar., X., Theoc., Luc.);

Other forms: also - όνος, - όνα etc. (Schwyzer 479)

Derivatives: μορμωτός `frightful' (Lyc.); μορμ-ύσσομαι `frighten' (Call.; for μαρμολύττομαι metri causa?, Debrunner IF 21, 243), μορμύξαν-τες (Phryg. IV^p), also μορμύνει and μορμύρει δεινοποιεῖ H. Further the nouns μόρμορος and μύρμος φόβος, μόρμη χαλεπή, ἐκπληκτική H. PN Μόρμυθος (like Γοργώ: Γόργυθος, Leumann Hom. Wörter 155 n. 129); here also ther PN Μυρμιδόνες ? -- Enlarged verbform μορμολύττομαι = μορμύσσομαι (Ar., Pl.. X., Ph.), μορμολυξάμενος (Gal.) with μορμολύκ-η, Dor. -α f. (Sophr. 9, Str.), - ειον (- εῖον) n. (Ar., Pl. u.a.) = μορμώ; also μορμορύζω `id.' (Phot.).

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

Etymology: Because of μύρμηξ: Lat. formīca one might want to connect, μορμ-ώ through an analogous dissimilation with Lat. form-īdō `ghost'. Further ucertain; prob. like Γοργώ (s. γοργός) a reduplicated fornation, which was used originally as terrorizing call (of childrens language?, cognate with μορμύρω etc. ? WP. 2, 308). The by-forms Μομβρώ, Μομμώ (H.) show the popular character. From the interjection the as demon interpreted Μορμώ may have arisen, from there the appellative. On Μορμώ in the Middle Ages and in recent times Wiener Roman. Forsch. 35, 943 ff. (lingu. unsatistactory, s. Kretschmer Glotta 10, 234 f.). -- Beside μορμώ there was not only μορμύσσομαι, - ύνει, - ύρει, but also μορμο-λύττομαι, - λύκη, - λύκειον; on the expressive λ-enlargement cf. πομφόλυξ, πομφο-λύξαι (: πομφός), βδελύττομαι (beside βδελυρός: βδέω). Dissimilation from *μορμορύττομαι (cf. μόρμορος; Schwyzer 258) is also imaginable. The nouns μορμολύκη, - ειον are rather backfomations. - A connection with Lat. form-ido etc. seems not obious. The words may well be Pre-Greek.

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