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Putative Akkadian Origins for the Greek Words Κίναιδος and Πυγή

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2015

Joseph Azize and
Ian Craigie
Joseph Azize
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
Ian Craigie
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
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Extract

The purpose of this note is to suggest Semitic, specifically Akkadian, etymologies for two Greek nouns, and thus for words derived from these. The first noun in question is κίναιδος, for a person participating in certain male homosexual acts. The authors suggest that this word is ultimately derived from the Akkadian noun ‘qinnatu’, meaning anus, or more generally, the rear. This noun was productive in Greek, and also passed into Latin as ‘cinaedus’.

The second Greek noun for which we suggest an etymology is πυγή denoting buttocks. Our hypothesis is that this word is derived from the Akkadian ‘pūqu’ meaning cleft or buttocks. Within the Greek language itself, the noun καταπύγων was developed from the noun πυγή by use of a prefix.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Antichthon , Volume 36 , November 2002, pp. 54 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Society for Classical Studies 2002

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