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The Meaning of ΜΟΛΟΒΡΟΣ in Homer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

E. Coughanowr
E. Coughanowr
Affiliation:
Villanova University
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Extract

A more specific meaning of may be derived from the noun which in the modern Greek dialect of Epirus indicates some type of disease that leaves the scalp at least partially bare of its hair. It is often used with words such as psoriasis, or meaning, possibly, a disease caused by a type of ringworm which destroys the hair of the scalp. At present it is still used in mostly derogatory expressions, or in curses, such as: ‘Psoriasis and ringworm have eaten him up’ or, ‘May psoriasis and ringworm eat you up!’

In the Odyssey, where the word occurs, Odysseus, disguised by Athena as a wretched old beggar, is also deprived of his hair. This may perhaps have caused the inference to the ringworm disease and / or baldness in both passages where the epithet appears in Homer.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , December 1979 , pp. 229 - 230
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1979

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References

1 Cf. Chantraine, P., Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque (‘meaning obscure’);Google Scholar also Chantraine, , ‘Le témoignage du mycénien pour l'étymologie grecque’, Minos 12 (1952), 203–5:Google Scholar ‘glouton’; also cf. Chadwick, J.-Baumbach, L., ‘The Mycenaean Greek Vocabulary’, Glotta 41 (1963), 223Google Scholar: ‘mo-ro-qo-ro’; cf. also Frisk, H., Griechisches etymologïsches Wörterhuch (1970):Google Scholar ‘Beteut. schwierig zu beurteilen’; Autenrieth, G., Hom. Dict. (1969):Google Scholar ‘glutton’, ‘gourmandier’; Cunliffe, R., Lex. Horn. Dial.: ‘a term of abuse or depreciation of unknown meaning’; Liddell-Scott: ‘a greedy fellow’ (derivation uncertain).Google Scholar

1 For the change of to a cf. Buck, C. D., The Greek Dialects (1955), pp. 133, 142: cf. also Latin. domitor.Google Scholar

3 Cf. Homer, , Od. 13.431, (Athena),Google Scholar

4 Cf. Thuc. 4.8.9:(the proper name was, perhaps, attributed to early baldness due to disease or other reasons; cf. modern Greek surnames, ‘lame Demos’, ‘short George’). Cf. also as an adjective to ‘bald, hairless hair that rests upon the ground’, (or, because it rests upon the ground) Nic. Ther. 662 (variously explained by sch. Od. and sen. Nic): It might also mean ‘young’; ‘the young of wild pigs’ (probably so called because hairless when born) Ael. Nat. An. 7.47; (possibly a young, or a diseased, swine, or having some derogatory connotation); cf. also Berg, T., PLG Hippon. 77.Google Scholar

5 Cf. Od. 13.435

6 Cf. non-Homeric (Ar. Eg. 1286) N. Gr. in Ch. Patsis, M. Greek Lex.; cf. Sanskrit (Macdonell, A., A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, 1974Google Scholar) mal-a, n. dirt, filth, impurity; mala-vat, a. dirty (compare ); mala-vaha, a. productive of impurity, defiling; mal-in a a. dirty, foul; mal-uka, m. a kind of worm.

In other languages, in the vicinity of Greece and elsewhere: cf. Turkish (Anderson, H.-Fahir, I., Concise Oxford Turkish Dictionary, (1924):Google Scholarmal, scamp, scoundrel: Slovak, (Slovak-English Dictionary, 1955, Paed. Publish. House, Bratislava):Google Scholarmalör, misfortune; malonocentvo, leprosy; mola, moth; molo, mole (blemish); Serbo-Croatian (G. , Kroatisch-serhisch-deutsches Wörterbuch): moljac, m. Schabe, Motte; -a, mottenzerfressen; moljaka-nje, Gebettel; Russian: molb, moth; Albanian (Mann, St., A Historical Albanian-English Dictionary, 1948Google Scholar): malkim, m; 2. soreness, inflammation bud.; malinë (a disease); malukat, m. nuissance, pest, rogue; mallkuar, a. accursed, outcast, rogue mallzohet, form a scar; moli, f. defilement, stain mark; mole Bsh. infection; Molicë, f. moth, clothes moth; molis, v. eat away, eat into (of moths), foul, contaminate, infect; -et, get moth-eaten, be infected; molishëm, infection, contamination: cf. also Drizari, , Albanian-English … Dictionary (1957), molë, f. moth. 2. mole; molepsur, moth-eaten: cf. English mole (anim.) and mould (mildew).Google Scholar