A Proto-Indo-European word for 'spider'? : un-weaving the prehistory of the Greek ἀράχνη and the Latin arāneus

Title: A Proto-Indo-European word for 'spider'? : un-weaving the prehistory of the Greek ἀράχνη and the Latin arāneus
Source document: Graeco-Latina Brunensia. 2022, vol. 27, iss. 1, pp. 69-89
Extent
69-89
  • ISSN
    1803-7402 (print)
    2336-4424 (online)
Type: Article
Language
 

Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.

Abstract(s)
The Greek ἀράχνη and the Latin arāneus 'spider' have long been considered cognates, yet a convincing etymology is still missing. Based on words for 'spider' in other Indo-European traditions that are predominantly derived from roots and verbs meaning 'weave', 'spin', and the like, we assume that the root at the core of Gk. ἀράχνη and Lat. arāneus had similar semantics. Analysing the preform *araksnā as *h₂ŕ̥h₂⁽g̑⁾sneh₂-, we recognize the underlying root *h₂reh₂⁽g̑⁾- 'weave' not only in ἀράχνη and arāneus, but also in the Gk. ῥῆγος 'rug, blanket' and the root noun ῥώξ 'a kind of venomous spider', the continuant of a former agent noun 'weaver'.
Note
This paper started out as a joint summer research project and was written as part of the project Of beasts and men, which received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. H2020-MSCA-IF-2018-835954.
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