True Names: Vergil and the Alexandrian Tradition of Etymological WordplayIn ancient thinking about etymology, knowledge of a term's origin meant knowledge of the essential qualities of the person, place, or thing it named. While scholars have long noted Vergil's allusions to etymologies, interest in such wordplay has grown rapidly in recent years and lies at the heart of contemporary scholarship's growing concern with the learned aspects and Alexandrian background of Vergilian poetry. In his new book, James O'Hara has produced a richly annotated, comprehensive collection of examples of etymological wordplay in the Aeneid, Eclogues, and Georgics. An extensive introduction on the etymologizing of Vergil and his poetic forerunners places the poet in historical context and analyzes the form and style of his wordplay. O'Hara also discusses how etymologizing served Vergil's poetic goals, and he explains how the role of word origins in Vergil's poems illuminates the origins and essential characteristics of the Roman people. The etymological catalog quotes each Vergilian passage, then explains the wordplay or possible wordplay, and refers to ancient grammarians and poets who mention similar etymologies. While bibliographical references are provided for most examples, many entries describe examples of wordplay never before noticed. Throughout the catalog, extensive cross-references direct the reader and render consultation easy. |
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Page 78
... implies debt to a poetic predecessor , and in particular a source in lost Hellenistic poetry , perhaps a catalogue of women in the underworld . A Hellenistic source would also explain the " pathetic fallacy " of the phrase Lugentes ...
... implies debt to a poetic predecessor , and in particular a source in lost Hellenistic poetry , perhaps a catalogue of women in the underworld . A Hellenistic source would also explain the " pathetic fallacy " of the phrase Lugentes ...
Page 90
... implies that the name was changed from an earlier one . A few lines later Evander mentions a series of name changes , including those of both the land , and its major river : ......... tum manus Ausonia et gentes venere Sicanae ...
... implies that the name was changed from an earlier one . A few lines later Evander mentions a series of name changes , including those of both the land , and its major river : ......... tum manus Ausonia et gentes venere Sicanae ...
Page 138
... implies the meaning шvvμía , the calling of a new thing after an old . " See also intro . 2.6 . Williams ( 1961 ) on 133 . A. 3.163-66 : est locus , Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt , terra antiqua , potens armis atque ubere glaebae ...
... implies the meaning шvvμía , the calling of a new thing after an old . " See also intro . 2.6 . Williams ( 1961 ) on 133 . A. 3.163-66 : est locus , Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt , terra antiqua , potens armis atque ubere glaebae ...
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Etymological Thinking and Wordplay before Vergil | 7 |
Typical Features of Vergilian Etymological Wordplay | 57 |
Copyright | |
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adjective Aeneas Aeneid Aeschylus aetiology Alba Alexandrian alii alludes allusion amor ancient Apoll Apollonius argues association atque Auct autem Bartelink 1965 called Callim Callimachus catalogue Cerda changed cites cognomine connection cura derivation described dicitur dicta dictus dicunt Dido discussion earlier epithet etiam etymological wordplay examples explains explicit Fordyce framing gloss Graece Greek Homeric Hymn important intro involving ISID Italy Latin learned lines linked Lucretius Maltby meaning mentioned nomen nomine notes nunc O'Hara offers origins Ovid Ovid cf passage perhaps phrase play poetic poetry poets possible present probably provides quae quam quia quod quoted reference Roman Ross says seems SERV Servius signpost sources suggests sunt suppressed Thomas tradition Varro Venus verb Vergil Vergilian word γὰρ δὲ καὶ τε