Greek Vocabulary Challenge: March 13

Here are today's vocabulary words; it's Group 151, with proverbs you've seen before but with a new word focus. Click on the word to learn more at Logeion:

διαλύω ~ διαλύσω ~ διέλυσα: dissolve, undo, end 

ἐπιθυμέω ~ ἐπιθυμήσω ~ ἐπεθύμησα: desire, long for 

πλήσσω ~ πλήξω ~ ἔπληξα: strike, sting 

ἁλίσκομαι  ~ ἁλώσομαι ~ ἑάλων: be caught, seized 

ἰσχύω ~ ἰσχύσω ~ ἴσχυσα: be strong, prevail 

These are the proverbs (and there are always more proverbs at the blog):

Ἔχθρας διάλυε.

Δασύπους κρεῶν ἐπιθυμεῖ.

Ἁλιεὺς πληγεὶς νοῦν οἴσει.

Ὑφ' ἡδονῆς ὁ φρόνιμος οὐχ ἁλίσκεται.

Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾽ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες.

And now, some commentary:

Ἔχθρας διάλυε.

Dissolve hatreds.

In other words, put a stop to them, break them up, let them go. This is one of the maxims attributed to the Seven Sages as reported in Stobaeus. The Greek verb διαλύω is at the root of the English word dialysis.

Δασύπους κρεῶν ἐπιθυμεῖ.

The rabbit craves meat.

On one level, the saying refers to something absurd and inappropriate: rabbits are herbivores, not carnivores. In a more subtle way, however, the saying refers to a different absurdity: asking someone else for something that you already possess in abundance. Rabbits are hunted for meat; rabbits are meat, so a rabbit does not need to seek meat elsewhere! The word δασύπους is a nickname for the rabbit or hare: δασυ-πους, hairy-foot.

Ἁλιεὺς πληγεὶς νοῦν οἴσει.

The fisherman, after he is stung, will get smart.

The words come from a fragment of Sophocles. The idea is that the fisherman who reaches recklessly into his net can get stung by a jellyfish or other dangerous creature (see mosaic below); once he has been stung, he will be more cautious the next time. The phrase "νοῦν οἴσει" literally means "he will fetch sense" (οἴσει is the future of ἄγει), which I translated as "will get smart." The root of Greek πλήσσω gives us "apoplexy" in English. See Logeion for the wide range of meanings of νοῦς.

Ὑφ' ἡδονῆς ὁ φρόνιμος οὐχ ἁλίσκεται.

The wise man is not ensnared by pleasure.

This is one of the one-liners (monostichs) of Menander. The word ὑπό loses its vowel before the following vowel, and the aspiration of ἡδονῆς turns the pi to a phi: ὑφ' ἡδονῆς. Likewise the οὐ becomes οὐκ before the following vowel, and the aspiration of ἁλίσκεται changes the kappa to a chi: οὐχ ἁλίσκεται.

Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾽ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες.

Those who are strong have no need of a doctor but those who are not well (do need a doctor).

The words are spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark in response to those who rebuke him for associating with sinners and other low-lifes. He explains the metaphorical application in the second half of the verse: οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς, "I have come to call not those who are righteous, but whose who have done wrong." The saying also appears in the Gospel of Matthew, and in a slightly different form in Luke, with ὑγιαίνοντες, "being healthy" in place of ἰσχύοντες that we have in Mark: οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλὰ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες.

jellyfish mosaic

And here's a random proverb and a random LOLCat too :

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