σμερδ-αλέος

σμερδ-ᾰλέος, α, [dialect] Ion. η, ον, [dialect] Ep. Adj. (Ar.Av. 553 is mock-heroic),

A terrible to look on, fearful,

δράκων Il.2.309

; of Odysseus when cast up by the sea, Od.6.137; σ. κεφαλή, of Scylla, 12.91; χαλκὸς ς. bronze dire-gleaming, Il.12.464, 13.192; of armour of all kinds, σάκος, αἰγίς, ἀορτήρ, 20.260, 21.401, Od.11.609; οἰκία ς., of Hades, Il.20.65;

ἔρις Hes.Th. 710

;

πόλισμα Ar.

l.c.

2 terrible to hear, esp. in neut. as Adv.,

σμερδαλέον δ' ἐβόησε Il.8.92

, etc.; σ. κονάβησαν, κονάβιζε, 2.334, Od.10.399: pl., σμερδαλέα κτυπέων, of Zeus, Il.7.479;

σ. ἰάχων 5.302

. (Prob. cogn. with Skt. márdati 'crush, crumble', Lat. mordere, OHG. smerzan, Engl. smart.)

Grammatical information: adj.

Meaning: `terrible, grisly, frightening, fearsome', of appearance, cry and shouting (ep. Il.).

Other forms: σμερδνος `id.' (Il., h. Hom., A. Pr. 355, Nic.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [736, 970] * (s)merd- `rub (open)'

Etymology: With σμερδαλέος cf. λευγαλέος, ἀργαλέος a. o.; σμερδνός like δεινός a. o. The pair σμερδ-αλέος: σμερδ-νός shows a suffixal interchange l: n (as ἰσχαλέος: ἰσχνός a. o.; Benveniste Origines 45f.). An agreeing s-stem (as θαρσαλέος: θάρσος) is indeed found σμέρδ[ν]ος λῆμα, ῥώμη, δύναμις, ὅρμημα and εὑσμερδής εὔρωστος H.; on the meaning cf. δεινότης also `power, force, dexterity'. -- Since Ebel KZ 7, 227 (cf. also Curtius 692 f.) one onnects a primary Germ. verb, OHG smerzan, OE smeortan `hurt', to which with ablaut (PGm. * smart- \< IE * smord-) OE smeart `painful', NEng. smart `biting, stinging, sharp, witty, elegant'. For further combinations with Lat. mordeō `bite' etc. (IE *( s)merd- `rub (open)') s. W.-Hofmann s. v. with rich lit. -- Diff. Bolling Stud. in hon. of H. Collitz (Baltimore, 1930) 43ff.: to Lith. smirdė́ti `stink', Goth. smarnos acc. pl. f. ' σκύβαλα', Lat. merda f. `dirt, muck'. On the attempts to connect IE *( s)mer-d- `rub (open)' with * smerd- `stink', s. WP. 2, 279 a. 691, Pok. 736f. a. 970, W.-Hofmann s. merda and mordeō; everywhere with further forms and lit. -- Cf. σμορδοῦν.

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