σαυνός

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `lizard' (A. Fr. 92 M., Hdt., Arist., Theoc. etc.), also = σαλαμάνδρα (Thphr.), metaph. as plantname = κάρδαμον (Nic.), `membrum virile of a boy' (AP), `plaited case made of palm bark, used in setting dislocated fingers' (medic.). Also σαῦρος m. `id.' (Hdt. [v. l.], Hp., Epich., Arist., Nic.); metaph. as fishname = τράχουρος (Alex., Arist., Gal.; a. o. after the colour, cf. Strömberg 121).

Other forms: Ion. - ρη.

Compounds: As 1. member in σαυρο-κτόνος m. `killer of lizards' (Plin.); on σαυρο-βριθές s. below.

Derivatives: 1. the plantnames σαυρ-ίδιον n. (Hp., Gal.), - ίγγη f. (H.; cf. e.g. φυσίγγη = φῦσιγξ: φῦσα), - ῖτις f. (Ps.-Dsc.); cf. Strömberg 130. 2. the fishname - ίς f. (Suid.). 3. - ῖται εἶδός τι ὄφεων H. 4. - ίγγη also = τὸ ζῶον ἡ σαύρα H., saurītis also `precious stone, that would have been found inside a lizard' (Plin.). 5. - ήτης m. `keeper of crocodiles' (pap.). 6. σαυρωτή ποικίλη, - ωτοῖς δόρασι τοῖς σαυρωτῆρας ἔχουσι κατὰ τῆς ἐπιδορατίδος H. 7. σαυρωτήρ, - ῆρος m. (Κ 153, Hdt. 7, 41, Plb. a. o.) approx. `lance shoe, bottom end of a lance, that could be stuck into the ground'; cf. instrument names as τροπωτήρ, σφυρωτήρ, to this σαυρωτός (ab. 6.) and σαύρα = `case' (s. ab.); in the same meaning also σαῦρος in σαυρο-βριθες ἔγχος ( Trag. Adesp. 264); the lance-shaft was prob. compared with the long tail of a lizard (cf. οὑρίαχος). 8. PN Σαυρίας, Σαύρων a. o. (IA. etc.).

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

Etymology: Like many other words for `lizard' without etymology. With σαύρα, σαῦρος and derivv. is usually connected a series of other words with σαυ-: σαῦλος, σαυ-νός, σαυνίον, also σαυκρός, and further compared with σωλήν and σῦριγξ; s. esp. Solmsen Wortforsch. 129ff. (with extensive treatment), where however only σαυροβριθές, σαυρω-τήρ and σαύρα `membrum virile' (as well as σαυνίον `javelin') are considered as belonging to σωλήν and σῦριγξ and so separated from σαύρα, σαῦρος `lizard'; the last are with σαῦλος, σαυνός, σαυκρόν, σαυχμόν made into a separate group (agreeing Fraenkel IF 32, 112). The relation between these words is as dark as the connections outside Greek are doubtful; s. on it Bq and WP. 1, 752; cf. also Mayrhofer s. tūṇaḥ. -- I see no reason to connect the adj. with σαυ- ( σαυνός is not given by LSJ). As the word is appar. not IE, it will be a local, i.e. Pre-Greek word. (Not in Furnée.) (The word disnosaur was in 1841 created from δεινός `terrible' by the English peleontologist R.Owen.)

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