Re: [tied] AMAZONS: legend or history?

But I think "a-mazos" was clearly a folk etymology. The suffix -zo:n seems
to me connected to IE root *gwenH- "woman", through some Satem language,
Thracia, Phrygian, Armenian or alike.


Joao SL
Rio

----- Original Message -----
From: Christopher Straughn <cstraughn@...>
To: <cybalist@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 2:01 AM
Subject: Re: [tied] AMAZONS: legend or history?


> I've always understood that Amazon came from Greek "a-mazos", meaning
> without breasts, because Amazon women were purported to have cut off their
> right breasts in order to make it easier to use a bow and javelin. At any
> rate, that's what Webster gives as the etymology.
>
> >1) AMAZO:NES (akin to Armenian Amis-Zon "Moon Woman" ?)
> >They've ever apperead in Greek myths as adversaries of heroes, Theseus,
> >Herakles and Bellerophontes. Myrina (Bathyaia)'s tomb is cited at Iliad.
> >Diodorus Siculus mentioned euhemerist tales envolving Lybian Amazons,
> >Atlants and Gorgons.
> >
> P.S. Thanks for the info on Dalmatian and Sardinian.
> Chris
> http://www.christopherstraughn.com
>
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