ἀνθόλοψ

Ancient Greek

A depiction of the antelope (mythical creature) in the Harley Bestiary (1240)

Etymology

The origin is unknown. The word superficially resembles ᾰ̓́νθος (ánthos) +‎ ὤψ (ṓps) and some older authorities suggested this as the etymology,[1] but there is reason to think it is instead a corruption of some other, possibly foreign, word.[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /an.tʰó.lops/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /anˈtʰo.lops/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /anˈθo.lops/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /anˈθo.lops/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /anˈθo.lops/

Noun

ἀνθόλοψ • (anthólops) ? (indeclinable)

antelope (a fierce legendary creature said to live on the banks of the Euphrates, having long serrated horns and being hard to catch)
- 2nd–4th centuries AD, Physiologus 3.1–4:[3]
  Ἔστι ζῶον, λεγόμενον ἀνθόλοψ (var. λυθίωψ). δριμύτατον ζῶον σφόδρα, ὥστε κυνηγὸν μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτᾠ ἐγγίζειν. ἔχει δὲ μακρὰ κέρατα, πρίονος μορφὴν, ὥστε πρίζειν τὰ μεγάλα δένδρα και μετέωρα.
  Ésti zôon, legómenon anthólops (var. luthíōps). drimútaton zôon sphódra, hṓste kunēgòn mḕ dúnasthai autōi engízein. ékhei dè makrà kérata, príonos morphḕn, hṓste prízein tà megála déndra kai metéōra.
  Translation by Gohar Muradyan
  There is an animal called antelope, an exceedingly alert animal; until the hunters are unable to approach it. It has long horns in the shape of a saw, so that it is able to saw very large and high trees.

Usage notes

In Greek and other ancient languages refers to a mythical creature, perhaps originally based on reports of the oryx.

Descendants

Some of the descendants have mistakenly read αν- (an-) as αυ- (au-).

→ Classical Syriac: ܐܘܬܘܠܘܦܣ (/⁠ˀwtwlwps⁠/)
→ Medieval Latin: antalopus, anthalopus, antilops, authalopum, antaplon, aptalon, analopos
- → English: antelope
- → French: antilope
  - → Catalan: antílop
  - → Dutch: antilope
  - → German: Antilope
  - Greek: αντιλόπη (antilópi)
  - → Russian: антило́па (antilópa)
    - → Georgian: ანტილოპა (anṭiloṗa)
→ Old Armenian: աւթողոփոս (awtʻołopʻos)
- → Old Georgian: ავთოლოფოსი (avtoloposi)

References

James Stormonth, Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language (1879), page 20: "(Gr. antholops— from anthos, beauty; ops, the eye), a beautiful creature, partly like a deer and partly like a goat."
Michel Desfayes, The Origin of English Names of European Birds and Mammals (2008), page 76: "The name antelope is borrowed from Middle Greek anthólops a fabulous animal described by Eustathius of Antioch who died in 337 (Webster). Given a Greek etymology, the word would mean “flower-shaped” a definition that certainly cannot apply to an animal. there is reason to believe that anthólops is a loan-word and a corruption of a foreign word."
Muradyan, Gohar (2005) Physiologus: The Greek and Armenian Versions with a Study of Translation Technique (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 6)‎, Leuven – Paris – Dudley: Peeters, pages 91, 143