Re: [tied] The e:us suffix, its origin...

Have you omitted Orpheus? And Zeus? And Nereus? And Antiocheus? Alexandreus? Thessalonikeus? Tarseus? Laodikeus?

And then there are all the -eus professions, like khalkeus (smith) dromeus (runner), iereus (priest), goneus, phoneus, and so on.

Not all have the same origin, and many are late formations. Are you able to distinguish early from late formations among your list? What are your criteria?

Peter

----- Original Message -----

From: Joao S. Lopes

To: Cybalist

Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:35 AM

Subject: [tied] The e:us suffix, its origin...

Im trying to understand the origin of Greek suffix e:us. PIE or Substratum? After lotting a lot of names with such suffix, it seems to be a massive frequency of dentals before the suffix (t,d,th,r,l,s,n), almost no labials, and few velars. Is this a clue for anything?

Theres also a remarkable ausence of theonyms, at least important gods carrying such names.

And eus-names are predominantly formed from root+suffix, a few of them show preffix+root+suffix (cf. Prometheus, Idomeneus).

My first hypothesis for explaining the ausence of pheus,-beus,-peus is to suppose that e:us is originally from substratum, < *-ia:u or *-ie:u-. Perhaps labial+i > dental.

Perhaps velar, dental+i >s; labial +i > dental. The few names showing velars and labial could be analogical.

-t-

Pro:teus

Aristeus (cf. aristos?)

-d-

Tydeus

-th-

Pittheus

Prome:theus

Epime:theus

-s-

Perseus (cf. Perse:s : Persephone : Persephatta)</ div>
Odysseus

The:seus (cf. The:spis, The:bai)

Briseus

-l-

Pe:leus (cf. Pe:lion)

Oileus

Akhileus

Ne:leus

basileus

Syleus

-r-

Te:reus

-n-

Oineus

Phineus

Idomeneus

-V-

Peiraieus

Typho:eus (cf. Typhon)

-g-

Aigeus (cf. Aigisthos, Aigilia, Aigilips)

-k-

Sykeus <*syke:

Skylakeus

khalkeus coppersmith < khalkos

Pythaeus

-ph-

Ke:pheus

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