- ἀταλός
- ἀταλόςGrammatical information: adj.Meaning: `tender, delicate' (Il.).Derivatives: Denom. verb ἀτάλλω (pres. only) `skip in childish glee', trans. `bring up (a child)' (Il.); ἀτάλματα παίγνια H. - With internal reduplication (Schwyzer 648) ἀτιτάλλω `rear, tend' (Il.); aor. ἀτίτηλα· ἀτιτάλτας `foster father' (Gortyn).Origin: XX [etym. unknown]Etymology: Unknown. Very extensive discussion in DELG. Leumann Glotta 15, 153ff. and Hom. Wörter 139ff. derives ἀταλός from the expression ἀταλὰ φρονέων, which arose from analysis of ἀταλαφρονέων. This again is based on ἀταλάφρων, and this again is the negation of ταλάφρων. Although it explains the composition vowel α, the whole is too complicated. Cf. Bolling, Lang. 27, 74 and Förstel, Glotta 48 (1970) 166f. - Derivation from ἄττα (Chantr., Benvenist, Instit. 2, 85ff.) seems also improbable. - Remains just an adj., ἀταλός, of unknown origin, with a verb `treat tenderly'. Fur. 262 compares ἀζαλαί νέαι καὶ ἀπαλαί and concludes to a subst. word (which is in itself probable), but the comparison is uncertain.Page in Frisk: 1,176
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.