ἀθύρω

Uncertain. According to Beekes, it may be compared to Lithuanian padùrmai and Russian дурь (durʹ), which may suggest a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer(H)-. However, this explanation does not easily explain the origin of the initial ἀ- (a-). It could be explained from a root *h₂dʰwer(H)-, although Beekes rejects this as an improbable root structure.

ᾰ̓θῡ́ρω • (ăthū́rō) (Epic)

1. to play, to take delight in
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Illiad 15.360-364:

     τῇ ῥʼ οἵ γε προχέοντο φαλαγγηδόν, πρὸ δʼ Ἀπόλλων αἰγίδʼ ἔχων ἐρίτιμον· ἔρειπε δὲ τεῖχος Ἀχαιῶν ῥεῖα μάλʼ, ὡς ὅτε τις ψάμαθον πάϊς ἄγχι θαλάσσης, ὅς τʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν ποιήσῃ ἀθύρματα νηπιέῃσιν ἂψ αὖτις συνέχευε ποσὶν καὶ χερσὶν ἀθύρων.

     tēî rh hoí ge prokhéonto phalangēdón, prò d Apóllōn aigíd ékhōn erítimon; éreipe dè teîkhos Akhaiôn rheîa mál, hōs hóte tis psámathon páïs ánkhi thalássēs, hós t epeì oûn poiḗsēi athúrmata nēpiéēisin àps aûtis sunékheue posìn kaì khersìn athúrōn.

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   • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Isthmian Odes 4.37-39:

     ἀλλʼ Ὅμηρός τοι τετίμακεν διʼ ἀνθρώπων, ὃς αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν ὀρθώσαις ἀρετὰν κατὰ ῥάβδον ἔφρασεν θεσπεσίων ἐπέων λοιποῖς ἀθύρειν.

     all Hómērós toi tetímaken di anthrṓpōn, hòs autoû pâsan orthṓsais aretàn katà rhábdon éphrasen thespesíōn epéōn loipoîs athúrein.

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   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 7.796b:

     διδάξουσιν, ὅταν ἐνταῦθʼ ὦμεν τῶν νόμων, τοῖς μὲν πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα εὐμενῶς δωρεῖσθαι, τοῖς δὲ παραλαμβάνειν ἐν χάρισιν. οὐδʼ ὅσα ἐν τοῖς χοροῖς ἐστιν αὖ μιμήματα προσήκοντα μιμεῖσθαι παρετέον, κατὰ μὲν τὸν τόπον τόνδε Κουρήτων ἐνόπλια παίγνια, κατὰ δὲ Λακεδαίμονα Διοσκόρων. ἡ δὲ αὖ που παρʼ ἡμῖν κόρη καὶ δέσποινα, εὐφρανθεῖσα τῇ τῆς χορείας παιδιᾷ, κεναῖς χερσὶν οὐκ ᾠήθη δεῖν ἀθύρειν

     didáxousin, hótan entaûth ômen tôn nómōn, toîs mèn pánta tà toiaûta eumenôs dōreîsthai, toîs dè paralambánein en khárisin. oud hósa en toîs khoroîs estin aû mimḗmata prosḗkonta mimeîsthai paretéon, katà mèn tòn tópon tónde Kourḗtōn enóplia paígnia, katà dè Lakedaímona Dioskórōn. hē dè aû pou par hēmîn kórē kaì déspoina, euphrantheîsa tēî tês khoreías paidiāî, kenaîs khersìn ouk ōiḗthē deîn athúrein

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   • 413 BCE, Euripides, Ion 50-54:

     νέος μὲν οὖν ὢν ἀμφὶ βωμίους τροφὰς ἠλᾶτʼ ἀθύρων· ὡς δʼ ἀπηνδρώθη δέμας, Δελφοί σφʼ ἔθεντο χρυσοφύλακα τοῦ θεοῦ

     néos mèn oûn ṑn amphì bōmíous trophàs ēlât athúrōn; hōs d apēndrṓthē démas, Delphoí sph éthento khrusophúlaka toû theoû

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   • Aelian, Historical Miscellany 13.46:

     αὐξηθέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐλάλει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς πρὸς ἀκούοντα καὶ ἤθυρε μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ συνεκάθευδεν αὐτῷ.

     auxēthéntos dè autoû elálei pròs autòn hōs pròs akoúonta kaì ḗthure met’ autoû kaì sunekátheuden autōî.

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   • Oppian, Halieutica 453-457:

     καί πού τις Λίβυος κούρου πόθον οἶδεν ἀκούων, τοῦ ποτε ποιμαίνοντος ἐράσσατο θερμὸν ἔρωτα δελφίς, σὺν δ᾿ ἤθυρε παρ᾿ ᾐόσι, καὶ κελαδεινῇ τερπόμενος σύριγγι λιλαίετο πώεσιν αὐτοῖς μίσγεσθαι πόντον τε λιπεῖν ξυλόχους τ᾿ ἀφικέσθαι.

     kaí poú tis Líbuos koúrou póthon oîden akoúōn, toû pote poimaínontos erássato thermòn érōta delphís, sùn d’ ḗthure par’ ēiósi, kaì keladeinēî terpómenos súringi lilaíeto pṓesin autoîs mísgesthai pónton te lipeîn xulókhous t’ aphikésthai.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. to perform in a play
   • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Nemean Odes 3.43-44:

     ξανθὸς δʼ Ἀχιλεὺς τὰ μὲν μένων Φιλύρας ἐν δόμοις παῖς ἐὼν ἄθυρε μεγάλα ἔργα, χερσὶ θαμινὰ

     xanthòs d Akhileùs tà mèn ménōn Philúras en dómois paîs eṑn áthure megála érga, khersì thaminà

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3. to sing a jovial song
   • Homeric Hymn to Pan 15-19:

     ἄγρης ἐξανιών, δονάκων ὕπο μοῦσαν ἀθύρων νήδυμον· οὐκ ἂν τόν γε παραδράμοι ἐν μελέεσσιν ὄρνις, ἥ τʼ ἔαρος πολυανθέος ἐν πετάλοισι θρῆνον ἐπιπροχέουσʼ ἀχέει μελίγηρυν ἀοιδήν.

     ágrēs exaniṓn, donákōn húpo moûsan athúrōn nḗdumon; ouk àn tón ge paradrámoi en meléessin órnis, hḗ t éaros poluanthéos en petáloisi thrênon epiprokhéous akhéei melígērun aoidḗn.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. to play an instrument
   • 100 BCE – 600 CE, Anacreontea 43.8-11:

     ἁβροχαίτας δ᾿ ἅμα κοῦρος στομάτων ἁδὺ πνεόντων κατὰ πηκτίδων ἀθύρῃ προχέων λίγειαν ὀμφάν

     habrokhaítas d’ háma koûros stomátōn hadù pneóntōn katà pēktídōn athúrēi prokhéōn lígeian omphán

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5. (mediopassive) to sing
6. to mock
   • Nonnos, Dionysiaca 45.242-245:

     καὶ ὡς κοτέοντι προσώπῳ Πενθέος ἐγγὺς ἵκανε μεμηνότος, ἑζομένου δὲ λυσσαλέου βασιλῆος ἀγήνορα κόμπον ἀθύρων φρικαλέην ἀγέλαστος ἐπίκλοπον ἴαχε φωνήν

     kaì hōs kotéonti prosṓpōi Penthéos engùs híkane memēnótos, hezoménou dè lussaléou basilêos agḗnora kómpon athúrōn phrikaléēn agélastos epíklopon íakhe phōnḗn

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

The word rarely appears in prose.

• “ἀθύρω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀθύρω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀθύρω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀθύρω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ἀθύρω”, in Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• ἀθύρω in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀθύρω, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 30