The Powers and Limits of Etymology

This chapter discusses several instances of Hesiodic etymology in the Theogony and the Works and Days and shows that naming and etymology fulfil a variety of purposes in Hesiod’s poetry: in the Theogony they support the poet’s didactic programme, contribute to the construction of the narrative, lend authority to Hesiod’s versions of the divine stories, function as an organizational principle, and reveal the poet’s reflection on the epic dialect. Through the etymological approach the poet sometimes aids his audience in understanding words that he (may have) coined. But it also becomes clear through the discussion of Hesiod’s treatment of Pandora’s name in the Works and Days that in the poet’s view, the powers of etymology are not unlimited: knowing a name’s constituent parts does not warrant that one knows its precise meaning and function. The relation of the constituent parts to each other, i.e. the syntax of etymology, is equally important, and in case of multiple possible combinations it is paramount to examine the context in which the etymology is uttered. The etymology of a name can thus under certain conditions reveal something substantial about the bearer’s nature. But when the various possible syntactic relations are not sufficiently unpacked, it can lead to misunderstandings and, as Epimetheus found out, disasters.