Tides - ἄμπωτις, πλημμυρίς, ῥηχία, παλίρροια, ἐπαναχώρησις

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
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Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Tides - ἄμπωτις, πλημμυρίς, ῥηχία, παλίρροια, ἐπαναχώρησις

Post by Stephen Hughes »

I have a few uncertainties about words referring to the tides:

The word for "water at its highest extent" is πλημμυρίς and the word for it at its lowest is is ἄμπωτις.

First question: For the part of the land uncovered at the lowest water, is the word commonly used in the Koine period ῥηχία (the form derived from the Ionian stem together with the Attic ending) or simply ῥαχία (the Attic form)?

The word for water moving in and out to sea over the tide cycle is παλίρροια (cf κῦμα the water moving in and out frequently - "wave").

Second question: For the word ἐπαναχώρησις, which viewpoint is being taken? Is the sea retreating from the observer on the shore, or is the sea going up and finding space or itself on the land? I assume it is from the view point of an observer on the land, rather than on a boat, because language and the observation of the tides predates boating. Am I right in that?

Third question: Depending on what ἐπαναχώρησις means, how can we talk about the opposite movement of the tides?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
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