How do you call a pig in Greek?
Posted: January 18th, 2013, 4:46 pm
Yes, somewhat of an odd question, but I'm trying to figure out what the vocative forms for pig are in Greek and how you would pronounce it. I.e., how would you call a pig or pigs in Greek?
Behind my question is the suspicion that "sooey" (however you spell it), the traditional American way of calling a pig, comes from the Greek. My suspicion is strengthened in that (I do believe that this is correct) in England, one says "hooey."
This would match precisely with the two forms of the word in classical Greek. Here is the Liddell-Scott entry:
ὟΣ, ὗν, gen. ὑός [υ²], or σῦς, σῦν, gen. συ²ός, ὁ and ἡ: pl., nom. ὕες (Att. ὗς) , σύες, acc. ὕας, σύας (Att. σῦς); gen. συῶν; dat. ὑσί, συσί, Ep. also ὕεσσι, σύεσσι:
That "ee" ending doesn't seem to fit as a 3rd declension vocative ending, but I'm trying to figure out a way that it does.
The English dictionaries I have been able to consult (cf: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sooey) note that the English "sow" does derive from the Latin sus and the Greek sus and hus, and suggest it's just a 'deformed' way of calling out "sow."
Does anyone have other evidence for the etymology of "soo-ee" or "hoo-ee" that might link it back to a proper vocative Greek word?
Thanks!
Mark Hoffman
Behind my question is the suspicion that "sooey" (however you spell it), the traditional American way of calling a pig, comes from the Greek. My suspicion is strengthened in that (I do believe that this is correct) in England, one says "hooey."
This would match precisely with the two forms of the word in classical Greek. Here is the Liddell-Scott entry:
ὟΣ, ὗν, gen. ὑός [υ²], or σῦς, σῦν, gen. συ²ός, ὁ and ἡ: pl., nom. ὕες (Att. ὗς) , σύες, acc. ὕας, σύας (Att. σῦς); gen. συῶν; dat. ὑσί, συσί, Ep. also ὕεσσι, σύεσσι:
That "ee" ending doesn't seem to fit as a 3rd declension vocative ending, but I'm trying to figure out a way that it does.
The English dictionaries I have been able to consult (cf: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sooey) note that the English "sow" does derive from the Latin sus and the Greek sus and hus, and suggest it's just a 'deformed' way of calling out "sow."
Does anyone have other evidence for the etymology of "soo-ee" or "hoo-ee" that might link it back to a proper vocative Greek word?
Thanks!
Mark Hoffman