[B-Greek] Etymology

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Mar 28 07:05:54 EST 2003


At 3:04 AM -0800 3/28/03, Jerker Karlsson wrote:
>Hi!
>
>I'm just wondering if anyone know how the word OUSIA came about. Its
>generally agreed that its derived from the verb EIMI, and some have
>suggested that its related to the participle form OUSA. But, and here is
>the crux, why is the feminine participle form OU mingled with the
>formative -SIA-, and not with the active -EI-?
>Any guess, educated or not, will be most welcome.

It's not quite so simple as you've suggested, but it is in fact derived
from the participle of the verb EINAI, ONT- with the formative feminine
suffix -IA. The S is not part of the formative but a transformation of the
participial stem -ONT-

The phonological principles involved are that:

	(1) -T- + -I- --> -SI- (T assibilates before E or I)
	(2) -ONS- --> -OUS- (intervocalic -N- evanesces between vowel +
-S-, but ordinarily the preceding vowel lengthens compensatorily; -O-
lengthens to -OU-.

These same principles are involved in the formation of the dative plural of
ALL active participles with the additive element -NT-:
	-ONT-SI --> -ONSSI --> -ONSI --> -OUSI
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/


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