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Aelius Herodianus · On Breathings §1

Exceptions of Initial Upsilon and Rules of Breathing

Passage 1 of 1 · Greek

Summary

In the grammatical fragments, the etymology of ὕψοϲ as the sole exception of word-initial υ appearing before double consonants is explained, alongside the aspiration of Menander's play *Halais* derived from its geographical setting.

§1## ΠΕΡΙ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ. 1.
## ON BREATHINGS 1.
Theognost.
Theognost.
Cr.
Cr.
II 19, 30, Bekk.
II 19, 30, Bekk.
An. 1428: Πρὸ τὸῦ ζ ἢ ξ ἢ ψ τὸ υ κατ᾿ ἀρχὴν λέξεωϲ οὐχ εὕρηται, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ ὕψοϲ, γεγονέναι δὲ αὐτό φαϲι παρὰ τὸ ὄπτω τὸ βλέπω, ὄψω ὄψοϲ καὶ τροπῇ Αἰολικῇ ὕψοϲ.
An. 1428: Before ζ, ξ, or ψ, the letter υ at the beginning of a word is not found, except in the word ὕψοϲ; and they say that this has derived from ὄπτω, meaning "to see", becoming ὄψω, ὄψοϲ, and by Aeolic change ὕψοϲ.
οὕτωϲ Ἡρωδιανὸϲ ἐν τῷ περὶ πνευμάτων. cf.
Thus Herodian in his *On Breathings*. cf.
Mon. 22, 3. 2.
Mon. 22, 3. 2.
Cram.
Cram.
Anecd.
Anecd.
Paris.
Paris.
I 397. 23: δαϲύνεται Ἁλαεῖϲ δρᾶμα Μενάνδρου ἀπὸ τοῦ· ἐν Ἁλαῖϲ Ἀραφηνίαιϲ ὑποκεῖϲθαι τὰ πράγματα.
I 397. 23: *Halais*, a play of Menander, is aspirated because the events are set "in Halai Araphenides".

Notes

  1. ¦10¦τροπῇ Αἰολικῇ — Refers to the "Aeolic change (vocalic shift)." Ancient grammarians attempted to explain the etymology of ὕψοϲ from ὄπτω based on the tendency in the Aeolic dialect for the vowel ο to shift to υ (e.g., ὄνυμα for ὄνομα).
  2. ¦15¦δαϲύνεται — Meaning "to be aspirated" or "to receive the rough breathing." Here it explains that the title of Menander's play, Ἁλαεῖϲ, is pronounced with an initial rough breathing (/h/) because it is derived from the place name Ἁλαί.
  3. ¦15¦ὑποκεῖϲθαι τὰ πράγματα — Meaning "the events (the plot) are set/situated." The verb ὑπόκειμαι indicates that the background setting or situation in a play or speech is "placed underneath" as a premise.

Cite this passage

Aelius Herodianus, On Breathings §1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0087.tlg005.humanitext-grc1:1

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