τάργανον

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

Not well explained. Traditionally compared with στεργάνος (stergános, place for dung) and τρύξ (trúx, lees of wine, dregs). The difference in final velar makes comparison with the group of Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- (to turn) (like Latin torqueō (I twist, wind) and Sanskrit तर्कु (tarku, spindle)) impossible. Expression for "turn" are often applied to drinks that have turned sour (compare τροπίας (tropías, sour wine)). Semantically, one may compare Dutch wrang (astringent, tart), to Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐍉 (wruggō, snare). According to Beekes, the variation τ/σ shows that the word is Pre-Greek.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

τᾰ́ργᾰνον • (tárganon) n (genitive τᾰργᾰ́νου); second declension

  1. vinegar
    Synonym: ὄξος (óxos)

Inflection

Descendants

  • τᾰργᾰνόομαι (targanóomai)

Further reading

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