[B-Greek] GUNAIKARIA in 2 Timothy 3:6
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu Sep 2 14:07:07 EDT 2010
On Sep 2, 2010, at 1:44 PM, John Barach wrote:
> I think they get "silly women" of GUNAIKARIA from similar words which end in -ARIA.
> MAKARIA -- hapiness
> ILARIA -- hilaria, rejoicing
> FLUARIA - foolishness, nonsense
I rather think there's some mixing of apples and oranges here: MAKARIA (μακαρία) hILARIA (ἱλαρία), and FLUARIA (φλυαρία) are all abstract nouns formed by adding the suffix -IA (-ια) to an adjectival stem (MAKAR- (μάκαρ/μάκαιρα/μάκαρ), hILAR- (ἵλαρος/α/ον), FLUAR- (φλύαρος/α/ον); GUNAIKARION (γυναικάριον), on the other hand, is a diminutive of GUNH/GUNAIK- (γυνή/γυναικ-), comparable to PAIDARION (παιδάριον), diminutive of PAIS/PAID- (παῖς/παιδ-) -- cf. Smyth §852.
Diminutives in Greek as in many other languages tend to be used in either of two ways: as terms of endearment, or as terms of disparagment or ridicule.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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