Amerias

Amerias (Greek: Ἀμερίας, 3rd century BC) was an ancient Macedonian lexicographer, known for his compilation of a Glossary entitled (Γλῶσσαι Glossai terms,words). Αnother of his works was called Ῥιζοτομικός, Rhizotomikos (ῥίζα + τέμνειν - rhiza + temnein, root-cutting), an etymological treatise.

Words of Amerias have survived in the writings of Hesychius and Athenaeus.

From the titles and the wording of Athenaeus, it is evident that Amerias did not write an exclusively Macedonian dictionary. He included in his Glossai a Homeric vocabulary as well, as most of the Alexandrian grammarians. The only marked Macedonian term, given by Hesychius, is sauadai, saudoi, silenoi. Athenaeus calls him many times Amerias the Macedonian but it is Seleucus of Alexandria, who is quoted with the Macedonian bread dramis, while Amerias in the same chapter (3.114b) is quoted with the bread ξηροπυρίτας, xeropyritas. The suffix -as indicates a Doric word, as badas and rhappaulas but they are not reported as Macedonian; they may be, they may be not. Words that resemble the Hesychius Macedonian sound-law are: badas (Attic batalos), kalithos (Attic khalis), grabion and kalarrhugai, while Bathale, pekhari, scheron, tetholos, hyphainein, as well the suffix -thos of kalithos, contradict it.

In any case, since Amerias is the only ancient proper Grammarian/Lexicographer, who is quoted as Macedonian, his Glossary is regarded generally as Macedonian at least of 4th-3rd century BC.

Glossary

• βαδάς badas "cinaedus, gay male" (Attic batalos) (probably related to Tarantinian batas sloping, going down).
• Βαθάλη Bathale name of fountain (Greek βαθύ - bathu "deep" + suffix -αλ-, or less probably ἅλλομαι - hallomai (cf. ἅλσις - halsis "spring, jump") or ἅλς (ἁλός) - hals (halos) "sea"); its relation to βαθύαλος - bathyalos "deep sea" Bathyal zone is obscure.
• βαυβυκάν baubukan (Attic πελεκάν "pelekan" pelican) (Philitas of Cos βαίβυκος - baibukos "pelican") (Greek bau wow, βυκανάω bukanao blow the trumpet bukane). Homeric βυκτάων/buktaôn "Ι swell, Ι blow". Pelekan is probably related to πέλεκυς/pelekys "axe".
• γράβιον^[1] grabion torch (already used by Strattis in his Phoenissae) (PIE *grabh-, "hornbeam", Umbrian Grabovius an oak-god, etymologically linked by LSJ and Pokorny to Attic κράβ(β)ατος krabbatos "couch, bed", Latin grabātus - which LSJ derives from Macedonian - hence modern Greek κρεβάτι kreváti "bed"). Quoted also by Theodoridas of Syracuse and Seleucus of Alexandria.
• ἐλάνη^[2] helane torch (Greek hele "light, brightness"^{[citation needed]}, Helios "Sun"). Quoted also by Nicander of Colophon.
• ἐπήβολος ἐπηβολός/epêbolos "in possession of", Homeric β 319. Amerias "safe". Macedonian parembole "barracks". (Schol Apoll. Rhod. II 1280).
• ἕρκιται^[3] herkitai "field slaves" (Greek ἕρκος(n.)/herkos "fence, enclosure", cf. εἱρκτή - heirkte "jail").
• ἐρίνακαι^[4] erinakai wild figs (Attic ἐρινός erinos wild fig erineos, ἐρινεός "wild fig-tree") (also, ἐρινάδες - erinades)
• εὔκονος^[5] eukonos "branned bread" probably from εὖ/eu + κόνις/konis "good dust". Quoted also by Timachidas of Rhodes.
• ζακελτίδες^[6] zakeltides "gourds", (Boeotian: zekeltides turnips by Nicander) (Phrygian zelkia "vegetables"). Quoted also by Timachidas of Rhodes.
• καλαῤῥυγαί kalarrhugai "ditches, trenches" (Laconian καλαρῖνες kalarines sewers) (Ambraciote καλαῤῥύα kalarrhua ditch)^[7] (Homeric ἀκαλαρρείτης/akalarrheitês "soft-flowing").
• κάλιθος kalithos "wine" (Greek; χάλις χάλις/chalis "unmixed wine").
• καμαστίς kamastis type of measurement (Greek κάμαξ kamax "vine pole, shaft, wooden lance") Aeolic: κάμμαρψις/kammarpsis "measurement for wheat, food"; half-medimnos.
• κλίσιον klision "outbuildings round a klisia place for lying down or reclining". Amerias προστῷον/prostoon Portico.
• λισσός lissos smooth.EM Amerias lissos "high". Cretan lyttos high, tall Cretan cities Lissos and Lyttos.
• λυχνίς^[8] luchnis Lychnis "species of flowering plants". λύχνος/lychnos "light, lamp". Word in Rhizotomikos of Amerias.
• ξηροπυρίτας^[9] xeropyritas "whole-wheat bread" (Greek ξηρός/xeros + πυρός/pyros "dry wheat". Quoted also by Timachidas of Rhodes.
• πέχαρι pechari "deer" (Laconian βέρκιος/berkios) (Attic ἔλαφος elaphos) (probably related to Greek φεύγειν - pheugein, Lithuanian begti "run").
• πίγγα pinga owl, πίγγαν pingan (masculine) "owlet" (Greek σπίγγος, spingos "finch").
• ῥάππαυλας^[10] rhappaulas "flautist, auletes, calamaules" (Greek rhappa ^[11] (reed) + aulos).
• σαυᾶδαι, σαῦδοι sauâdai, sâudoi Macedonian word for Silenoi (Thraco-Phrygian God Sabazios), (Upper Macedonian eponym Sabattaras father of Machatas).
• σαυτορία sautoria "salvation" (Greek Sotêria) Homeric, Aeolic σάω - saoô,saô "save" saôtôr "savior".
• σμώγη smoge Viper's Bugloss βούγλωσσον - bouglosson or the fish bouglossos (Attic σμώγη - smoge "drop, vicissitude", σμώγω - smogo "to strike" smogeron painful).
• σχερόν scheron "ready wave(?)" (κῦμα ἕτοιμον) (Greek σχερός scheros coast, beach) (ἐν σχερῷ en scherôi "in a line") (Scheria Corfu island).
• ταῦροι^[12] tauroi (Greek ταύροι tavroi "bulls") (Ephesian word, the youths who acted as cupbearers at the local festival of Poseidon).
• τεθολώς tetholos "filled, stuffed" (Greek thaleros "buxom, blooming" or θολόω/tholoô (passive participle τεθολωμένος (tetholomenos), tholeros "dense, dim, confused, muddy") (probably unrelated to θόλος - tholos "dome").
• τιτύρινος^[13] tityrinos "single pipe" (Attic μόναυλος - monaulos) Tityros the Doric word for Satyr.^[14]
• ὑφαίνειν hyphainein "to ignite, burn" (ὑφᾶται it is burnt) (Greek hyphainein "to weave"; its relation with ὑφάπτειν hyphaptein "to burn" is obscure).

References

• Amerias Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
• Amerias der Makedone by Otto Hoffmann
• Hesychius of Alexandria
• LSJ A Greek-English Lexicon

1. ^ Athenaeus -Deipnosophists 15.57
2. ^ Athenaeus - Deipnosophists by Charles Burton Gulick[1]
3. ^ Athenaeus - Deipnosophists, 6.267-Greek and Roman Slavery by Thomas Wiedemann[2]
4. ^ Athenaeus Deipnosophists 3.10
5. ^ Athenaeus-Deipnosophists 3.81 3.114e
6. ^ Athenaeus Deipnosophists -9.369
7. ^ Parmenion of Byzantium -Die Makedonen: Ihre Sprache und ihr Volkstum by Otto Hoffmann[3]
8. ^ Athenaeus Deipnosophists 15.681f
9. ^ Athenaeus-Deipnosophists-3.81 3.114e
10. ^ Athenaeus: Deipnosophists-4.176
11. ^ Greek Musical Writings by Andrew Barker [4]
12. ^ Athenaeus Deipnosophists 10 425c
13. ^ The Learned Banqueters by Athenaeus 4.176
14. ^ Tityri (Τίτυροι): "flute-playing satyrs"; www.theoi.com,

See also

Ancient Macedonian language