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The Name of the Black Sea in Greek

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

W. S. Allen
W. S. Allen
Affiliation:
Trinity College, Cambridge
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Extract

In an article on ‘The Name of the Euxine Pontus’ in C.Q.xxxiv (1940), pp. 123 ff., A. C. Moorhouse rejects the suggestion made by M. Vasmer and supported by Boisacq that the original Greek title ἃξε(ι)νος was a popular rendering of the Avestan adjective αχṦαệνα, ‘of dark colour’. Moorhouse raises the following objections to this theory:

i. There is no direct evidence of the Avestan adjective ever being applied to the Black Sea.

ii. In historical times ‘Avestan is a long way from Greek’ and in prehistorical times it is doubtful whether the speakers of Avestan had any close connexion with the Black Sea.

iii. Assuming πόντος to denote ‘way’, ‘the dark way’ would be a fantastic name for any sea.

iv. The early Greek form is ἃξενος, and only metri gratia ἃξεινος, whereas if the word is a loan from αχṧαēνα we should expect the phonetically closer form ἃξενος

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 41 , Issue 3-4 , July 1947 , pp. 86 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1947

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References

Page 86 note 1 ‘Osteuropäische Ortsnamen’ (Ada et Comment. Univ. Dorpat, B. i. 3, 1921), pp. 3 ff.

Page 86 note 2 Revue Belge de Philologie, iii (1924), pp. 315 ffGoogle Scholar.

Page 86 note 3 ‘Nazvanie cernogo Morja v Domusul’ manskoj Persii' (‘Le Nom de la Mer Noire dans la Perse Préislamique’).

Page 86 note 4 This work was not completed in its present form before the 9th cent. A.D., and shows signs of Mesopotamian and Mediterranean influence. Its main sources, however, are in the Zoroastrian tradtion.

Page 86 note 5 ed. Justi, , p. 26, line 12 f. The passage also appears in the Selections of Zāispram, vi. 14Google Scholar.

Page 86 note 6 In ancient geography the size of features is not to be taken too seriously: the Persian Gulf is in fact smaller than the Caspian Sea, but being known along its whole extent might well be thouthgt larger than the only partially known sea to the north.

Page 86 note 7 Thus Bartholomae, Altiranisches Wörterbuch, s.v.; cf. Skt. pavate, punāti. Another etymologically possibled interpretion would be ‘putrid’; cf. Skt. pūyati, Av. puyeiti.

Page 87 note 1 Cf. Old Persian αχαινα, Modern Persian χαν.

Page 87 note 2 e.g. Theoc. I6. 99: Seneca, , Med. 212Google Scholar.

Page 87 note 3 e.g. Ovid, , Ex Ponto, 4. 10. 38Google Scholar.

Page 87 note 4 Hdt. 4. 17 ff.

Page 87 note 5 Cf. Minns, , Scythians and Greeks, pp. 31 f., 35 ff., and 115 ffGoogle Scholar.

Page 87 note 6 See Vasmer, , ‘Die Iranier in Südrussland’ (Untersuchungen über die äliesten Wohnsitze der Slaven, i) p. 9 fGoogle Scholar.

Page 87 note 7 For lists and etymoligies see Vasmer, op. cit., pp. 11 ff. and 29 ff. I am informed by Professor H. W. Bailey that the Caucasian Ossetic still shows words which correspond to Scythian and Sarmatian names, and which are certainly Iranian in orgin. Cf. Miller, Wsewolod, Die Sprache der Osseten, pp. 4 ffGoogle Scholar.

Page 87 note 8 There is some evidence from loan-words in Finno-Ugrian that it was more closely related to Avestan than to Old Persian (Vasmer, , op. cit., P. 21)Google Scholar.

Page 88 note 1 Cf. the following related forms: Sogdian αχςēναR, Ossetic (Digor) αχςιν, Yidgha αχιν, Khotanese āsseina.

Page 88 note 2 Cf. the adoptions of the First World War, e.g. ‘Plug Street’ for Ploegsteert.

Page 88 note 3 Cf. παράςεισοςPairidaēza.

Page 88 note 4 Boisacq (loc. cit.)compares Eur. I.T. 107 (πόντοςμέλας) Mod. Gk. Mαύρη θάλασσα, and the description blauschwarz in Baedeker' Russland.

Page 88 note 5 Cf. Strabo, 7. 3. 6. Minns, (op. cit., p. £9) refers to the continued unpopularity of this sea amongest sailors on account of its fogs, sudden storms, and scarcity of good harbours. In ancient times the hostility of some adjacent tribes may well have increased its ill repute.Google Scholar