Ancient Greek edit

Etymology edit

It matches Thracian Ἀλαζών (Ἀlazón) exactly, perhaps an appellative,[1] or it may be a cultural loanword from Akkadian 𒀀𒇻𒍣𒉡 aluzinnu, 'boastful, clownish fraud, most times pretending or claiming to possess medical skills or knowledge.' From Sumerian 𒀩𒍪 alanzu, 'clown.' [2]

Pronunciation edit

 

Noun edit

ᾰ̓λᾱζών (alāzṓnm or f (genitive ᾰ̓λᾱζόνος); third declension

  1. wanderer around the country, vagrant
  2. (particularly of Sophists) charlatan, quack
  3. braggart, boaster

Inflection edit

Adjective edit

ᾰ̓λᾱζών (alāzṓnm or f (neuter ᾰ̓λᾱζών); third declension

  1. boastful, pretentious

Inflection edit

Descendants edit

  • Old Latin: alāzōn

References edit

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀλαζών”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 60
  2. ^ Rumor, Maddalena "Aluzinnu Versus ἀλαζών: On the Use of Medical Terminology in the Babylonian and Greek Comic Traditions." In AOAT 436 (2016): 587–603.