Aegilops in botanical treatises of Theophrastus

The present paper discusses semantics and etymology of an Ancient Greek word αἰγίλωψ (aegilops). The main attention is concentrated on the botanical treatises of Theophrastus' “Historia plantarum” and “De causis plantarum” since they contain more detailed descriptions of aegilops. Also there we find the first use of this term. Contexts from other ancient authors (Galenus, Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder e.t.c.) are also used, that helps to identify more accurately real biological species. As the research shows, the botanical term αἰγίλωψ has three lexical meanings, that can be generally described as “species of a gramineous plant”, “species of an oak” and “species of a bulbous plant”. As a loan word in the Latin language the term maintains those meanings. It is also used in modern botany in two previous significations (“species of a gramineous plant” and “species of an oak”), however as an oak-name it is considered to be obsolete. The paper examines the plant-species, that Theophrastus could discuss using this word. Most likely he describes Aegilops ovata and Quercus robur. Due to the analysis of morphology of other ancient greek plant-names a particular ending of a biological species is distinguished. So there is suggested a new version of etymology of αἰγίλωψ, taking into consideration the third meaning (bulbous plant). The paper offers single derivation for all the meanings of noun: αἶξ → αἴγιλος → αἰγίλωψ. Thus three plants have got the same name (aegilops) trough metaphorisation – a common method used in Theophrastus' works.

aegilops, Theophrastus, Ancient Greek language, etymology, botany, gramineous plants, oaks, plant-names, endings of phytonims, comparison