ἀμφι-θέατρος

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `seeing, looking at, contemplation, aspect' (IA).

Other forms: Ion. θέη (Syrac. θάα?; s. Kaibel CGF 1,200)

Compounds: As 1. member in θεωρός `spectator, envoy at a feast', s. v.

Derivatives: Θᾱΐς f. PN (D. S.). - θεάομαι, Ion. θηέομαι, Dor. θαέομαι (with θάμεθα [Sophr.] and other contracted forms; Bechtel Dial. 2, 191), also with prefix, e. g. ἐκ-, κατα-, συν-, `look at, behold' (Il.) with several verbal nouns: 1. θέαμα, θέημα `sight, spectacle' (Semon., A.); 2. θέασις `contemplation, insight' (Gal., Porph.); 3. θατύς (Dor. \< *θαατύς) ἴκριον (= `bank in theater'), θεωρεῖον, ἐς θατύν εἰς θεωρίαν H.; 4. θέατρον, θέητρον `place for spectators, theater' (IA) with several compp. and derivv., e. g. ἀμφι-θέατρος prop. bahuvrihi `with place for spectators around' ( ἱππόδρομος, στοά), subst. - ον `amphitheater' (D. H., Str.), θεατρικός, θεατρίζω, θεατρισμός; 5. θεατής, θεητής `spectator' (IA) with θεατικός (Arr.); 6. θηητήρ (φ 397), θατήρ (B. 9, 23) `id.'; 7. θεήμων `id.' ( APl.).

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

Etymology: As basis of θέα etc. we can assume *θᾱϜα; (the -α of Att. θέα from θεάομαι? s. Schwyzer 188 w. n. 2). From *θά̄Ϝᾱ, *θήϜη, θέα (with shortening η \> ε; Schwyzer 349) we can explain θᾱ(Ϝ)έομαι, θη(Ϝ)έομαι (with αο \> εο; Schwyzer 242f.), θεάομαι without difficulty as denominatives. Or it is an iterative-intensive deverbative (Schwyzer 720) with θέη, θέα as back-formations; this seems indicated by the chronology. Another primary noun is prob. θῆβος (= θῆϜος) θαῦμα with θήγεια (= θήϜεια) θαυμαστά, ψευδῆ and θηταλά (= θηϜαλά) θαυμαστά, ψεύδεσιν ὅμοια H. - No cognates; wrong combinations in Bq, 832. Wrong Szemerényi Glotta 33, 256 (*θά̄Ϝα from IE *dhm̥su̯ā etc.). See on θαῦ-μα s.v.

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