σκῠτάλη

σκῠτάλη

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `stick, club, spar, drum' in diff. technical mean. (Archil., Pi.). From the lit. is esp. known the letter-staff, which the Spartans used for secret dispatches. Metaph. as des. of a snake (Nic. a. o.), of a fish (Opp.; Strömberg Fischn. 36).

Other forms: Beside σκύταλον n. `stick, club' (Pi., Hdt., Ar., X.).

Derivatives: Dimin. σκυτάλ-ιον n. (Ar., hell. a. late), -ίς f. (Hdt., hell a. late); further -ίας m. as name of a σίκυος (Thphr.; Strömberg Theophr. 91) a. o.; -ωτός `provided with a σ.' (Hero, EM); -ισμός m. `fist-law', in Argos (D.S., Plu.); -όομαι `to be clubbed' (EM, H.) with -ωσις (Trozen).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Instrument name like ῥόπαλον, πάσσαλος a. o. (Chantraine Form. 245 f.); no certain connection. First from *σκύτος (cf. σκυτίζει σπαράττει H. ?), which agrees formally with Lith. skùtas `rag, piece, patch'. Besides the primary verb skutù, skùsti `shave, plane, peel' (cf. on ξύω); so *σκύος, -άλη prop. *'planed piece of wood'? (Lith. skutùlė `wooden box with cover' (Rozwadowski, s. Glotta 2, 356) is a loan from MLG schuttel, from Lat. scutella). -- Lat. LW [loanword] scutula. Cf. σκῦρος, σκύτη and σκῦτος.

Page in Frisk: 2,744