surcus

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `oath' (Il.), `object to swear by', orig. of the water of the Styx (Β 755, Hes., h. Cer. 259).

Compounds: Compp., e.g. ὁρκ-ωμότης m. `who takes an oath' (Arc., Locr. inscr. VI--V<sup>a</sup>) with ὁρκωμοτ-έω `to take an oath' (trag. a.o.), compound of ὅρκον ὀμόσαι with τη-suffix; εὔ-ορκος `swearing rightly, faithful to one's oath' (Hes.) with εὑορκ-έω, ἔν-ορκος `bound by oath' (Att.) with ἐνορκ-ίζομαι `to bind by oath'; but ἔξορκος `sworn' (Pi.) backformation from ἐξ-ορκόω, - ορκίζω; on ἐπί-ορκος s. v.; πεντορκ-ία f. "taking of five oaths", `oath by five gods' (Locr. V^a), with ία-suffix.

Derivatives: 1. ὅρκια pl., rarely - ιον n. `objects to swear by, oath pledge, animals sacrificed for an oath, oath, solemn treaty' (Il.), ὅρκιος `belonging to an oath, sworn by' (Att., Leg. Gort.). 2. ὁρκικός `belonging to an oath' (Stoic.). 3. ὁρκόω, - ῶσαι, often w. ἐξ-, `to make one swear, to put under oath' (IA.) with ὁρκώματα pl. `oath' (A.), ὁρκωτής m. `who makes swear, who puts one under oath' (Att.; cf. Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 199 f.), ἐξόρκω-σις f. `swearing, adjuration' (Hdt., J.). 4. ὁρκίζω, - ίσαι, Dor. fut. ὁρκιξεω (Delph.), also w. δι-, ἐξ-, `to make one swear, to adjure, to administer an oath' (Ion., X., D., hell., also Dor., s. Fraenkel Denom. 86 a. 147) with ὁρκίσματα pl. `adjurations' (Megara I--II<sup>p</sup>), ( δι-, ἐξ-)-ὁρκισμός m. `swearing, adjuration' (LXX, Plb.), ἐξορκισ-τής m. `exorcist' ( Act Ap.). 5. ὁρκίλλομαι `to swear in vain' (Phot.), as if from dimin.-pejor. *ὁρκίλος. 6. - ορκέω only in derivv. from compp. with analogical formations: εὑορκ-έω (with εὑορκ-ία) from εὔ-ορκος(s. above), ψευδορκ-έω from ψεύδ-ορκος (Risch IF 59, 258), with ἐμπεδ-, ἀληθ-, δυσ-, παρ-ορκέω a.o.; on ἐπι-ορκέω s. v. -- On itself stands, with quite diff. meaning ὁρκάνη f. `enclosure' (A., E.) beside late ἑρκάνη as Όργάνη beside Έργάνη (s. on ὄργανον and ἔργον); cf. also Ο῝ρκατος PN (Calymna II^a), s. Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 147.

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Formally ὅρκος seems to be connected with ἕρκος `fence' (thus already Eust. a. EM); it would be then prop. so much as "bound(s), which one assumes" (Solmsen KZ 32, 275), "limitation, tie, obligation"; such a meaning is indeed found in ὅρκοι δεσμοὶ σφραγῖδος H. [or read *σφραγῖδες?] ; cf. also ὁρκάνη. A convincing argumentation however must still be found. Several attempts by Schroeder (in WP. 2, 528): ὅρκος prop. "fastening" beside ἕρκος "obstruction"; by Luther "Wahrheit" und "Lüge" 90ff. (s. also Weltansicht und Geistesleben 86 ff.): ὅρκος prop. a magical power, that pales in the swearer (*ἕρκει); by Bollack REGr. 71, 1ff.: ὅρκος orig. = Στύξ, taken as worldembracing fence ( μέγας ὅρκος); s. also Hiersche ibd. 35 ff. -- New etymology by Leumann Hom. Wörter 91 f.: ὅρκος = Lat. * sorcus or * surcus in surculus `twig' (diff. on surculus [: surus `twig'] e.g. W.-Hofmann s.v.); so prop. `the staff, which is raised when swearing'; ὄμνυμι `swear' prop. *'grasp'; ὅρκον ὀμόσαι `grasp the staff' ( θεοὺς ὀμόσαι imitation). Criticism by Luther, Bollack a. Hiersche l.c.; cf. also Benveniste Vocab. institutions 2, 165ff. cf. alo the lit. on ὄμνυμι. Further s. ἕρκος.

Page in Frisk: 2,418-419