The Greek Diminutive Suffix -uixo- -nv/.i]-. 159 



[jieipa/aov, 7:aiBi(7xov is rather puzzling, for it looks like a similar 

 series in which 7caiBi(7xo? would be a younger boy than jj^ipaxtov, 

 yet even if so there is no need of assuming that it was synonymous 

 with %m.c or even designated particularly small boys. In Herondas 

 3. 30 xaiBicTxo? seems to designate a rather young lad, and in 

 Philox. I, 2 oLTZoikoc, xatBi(7K05 Iv apyupea T^poyow cpsptov there is no 

 hint as to his size. 



For a number of proper names in which -i,<7xo- is a suffix of 

 similarity see § 100 f . 



2. Names of Animals. 



36. Most of these form a closely associated group of words desig- 

 nating kinds of fish. 



A. Names of fish. These are closely associated with other names 

 of food-articles in which -I'Txo- is hypocoristic in the sense ' de- 

 licious ' (§ 62 f., 79), and such a force may here often have been 

 united with the notion of similarity (e. g. the first example of 

 ^(^ol's/Xtaoc). The latter is the prime motive of formation when 

 the primitive does not designate the same fish as the derivative. 

 Examples : §a(StUaxoc, : paai}.£'jc, a certain sea-fish which is ' king- 

 like.' 0pp. H. I. 129. Y?Mvxiaicog probably a fish ' hke the yy.au- 

 xoc, but not the same,' a different species. ^ Both are named from 

 their color. Philem. frg. 4. 27 (1. 21) ; Arched, frg. 4. 436 (here 

 with secondary diminutive meaning, see § 72) ; Baton frg. 4. 502 

 (1. 16) ; Damox. frg. 4. 530 (1. 18). Iwviaxog : "Iwvs?, a fish which 

 is luxuriant ' like an Ionian.' Archestr. ap. Ath. 328 C XptJo-ocppuv 

 s^ 'Ecpso-QK -ov Tciovoc \xf\ xocpa>.£tTO, °0v xeTvoi Y-oCkiouavi iwviGV.ov. xa- 

 TTQtaxog : xaTzpo?, a fish ' like a boar,' because of a grunting noise. 

 Ap. Athen. 355 F. xevTQiaxog : xsvirpov, a fish ' like a sharp point,' 

 i. e. a prickly one. Theophr. frg. 171. 9. Xevxlaxog^ probably a 

 fish ' like the XsSxo?, but not the same,' ' the white mullet.' Hices. 

 ap. Ath. 306 E. Avxflaxog : y.d'/yoc,, a fish ' like a torch,' cf. Luc. 

 V. H. 2. 30 Y.ca lyP-oq Vz et/s ■K0II061;, 'zob(; pv BaT^oT? xpoo-soaoTa?, 

 Tou? Bs pxpoui; av8'pa^i xexupcopivoi?, Ixa};0uv Bs auTOU? Xu/yirmrjo^. 

 ("vtGxog : ovo?, a fish ' like the ass ' (cf. Lat. aseUus), a sea-fish of 

 the gadus or cod kind. Dorio ap. Ath. 118 C. Perhaps started 

 from the use of the primitive itself to designate a fish. Cf. Ath. 

 315 F Btacpsps!, B' o^or dvtaxou. oQCfiaxog a fish ' like the opcpo?, but 



1 If primitive and derivative are identical all examples are originally 

 hypocoristic, belonging to § 79. 



2 Cf . yXavxiaxog. Hardly directly from the adjective. Cf . Janson, op. cit. 65. 



