- ἀλφηστής
- ἀλφηστής, -ουGrammatical information: m.Meaning: `grain-eating' (Od.)Dialectal forms: Dor. ἀλφηστᾱ́ς a fish `Labrus cinaedus' (Epich.); also calles κίναιδος, cf. Strömberg Fischnamen 56; also Thompson, Fishes.Origin: GR [a formation built with Greek elements]Etymology: Clearly from ἄλφι, in opposition to ὠμηστής, plus *h₁ed- `eat', in the expression ἀνέρες ἀλφησταί. In antiquity, strangely enough, not understood, cf. ἀλφηστῃ̃σι τοῖς εὑρετικοῖς καὶ συνετοῖς H., which is mostly (correctly?) rendered by `enterprising' and derived from ἀλφάνω (which seems also doubtful; the gloss rather means `intelligent', and does not refer to ἀλφάνω). The -ι- lost for metrical reasons, Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 38.Page in Frisk: --
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.