- μολύνω
- μολύνωGrammatical information: v.Meaning: `defile, stain, sully'.Other forms: mostly presentstem (Att.), μολυνῶ, μολῦναι, -υνθῆναι etc. (hell.).Compounds: Also with prefix, e.g. ἀνα-, συν-.Derivatives: μόλ-υνσις, -υσμός `defilement, staining' (LXX, Str.), -υσμα `stain' (late). -υμμα `id.' (gloss.); μολυνίη ἡ πυγή H. (cf. Scheller Oxytonierung 40), μόλυχνον δυσταλέον (leg. αὑσταλέον?) H. -- Here also Μολόεις Boeot. rivern. ("the filthy", Krahe Beitr. z. Namenforsch. 2, 232f.) from *μόλος (s.b.)?Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]X [probably]Etymology: Denominative in -ύνω from an unknown basis. After J. Schmidt KZ 32, 384 to Lith. mul̃vė `mud, mire', mul̃vinti `cover with mire'; to geta greement also in the stemvowel, he assumes an original *μαλύνω (αλ = Lit. ul from IE *l̥). A comparison *μαλύνω : mul̃vinti with -υν- = -vin- from IE -u̯n̥- (thus Fraenkel Gnomon 22, 237) is impossible, as mul̃vinti is a Lith. factitive of mul̃vė. Of the many other words for dark, impure colours, for `dirt, defile', which have been assembled in WP. 2, 293f. and Pok. 720 f. under *mel(ǝ)-, here only Skt. mála- m. n. `dirt, muck' is of interest, from which malavant- `dirty', formally = Μολόεις; on an agreeing *μόλος, -ον `dirty' μολ-ύνω (cf. αἰσχύ-νω, σκληρ-ύνω etc.) and Μολόεις could have been built. -- Cf. μέλας and μώλωψ; cf Mayrhofer KEWA s. málam. - Fur. 227 compares φολῡ́νει μολύνει H., which might point to a Pre-Greek word.Page in Frisk: 2,252
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.