Stammbild

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: name of the mythical horse, that was begot by Poseidon with Medusa (Hes.).

Other forms: Dor. Πάγ-.

Derivatives: Πηγάσ-ειος, f. - ίς `belonging to P.' (Ar., Mosch., AP).

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

Etymology: Appellat. meaning unknown; so without certain etymology. Morpholog. both with appellatives as πέτασος, κόμπασος as also with endearing names like Ἔλασος, Δάμασος comparable, it can be formally connected with πηγαί, πηγή (Hes. Th. 282, Prellwitz, Bq, Nilsson Gr. Rel. 1, 451) or with πηγός `firm, strong, powerful' ( ἵππους π. I 124; Kretschmer Glotta 31, 95 ff.). The colour adj. πηγός `white' (also `black'), from which acc. to Malten (s. Wahrmann Glotta 17, 262), Schachermeyr Poseidon (1950) 179, v. Wilamowitz Glaube 1, 275 Πήγασος sould come (cf. Λεύκιππος), rests on a wrong interpretation of Homer (lit. s. πήγνυμι). -- Pre-Gr. origin is of course well possible; cf. Schwyzer 62 w. lit. It is now agreed upon that Pegasos derived from the first element of pih̯assassi-, an epithet of the Hittite and Luvian Storm-God (Starke Stammbild. 1990, 103-6).

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