Σείριος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Assuming an original meaning "sparkling, flickering", the word has been connected with σείω (seíō, “to shake”), which is compared to a verb "to be excited, sparkle, gleam" in Sanskrit त्विष् (tviṣ, “brilliance, glitter”), त्वेष (tveṣa, “vehement; brilliant”) and especially Avestan 𐬚𐬡𐬌𐬯𐬭𐬀 (θβisra, “glitter”). The basis for the Greek form would then be *tweys-ro- or *twis-ro-. Furnée compares τίριος (tírios, “Cretan word for summer”); if correct the word could be Pre-Greek.

Pronunciation

 

Proper noun

Σείρῐος • (Seírios) m (genitive Σειρίου); second declension

  1. Sirius, the dog star.

Inflection

References

  • Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
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