ᾠόν

ᾠόν, τό, old poet. forms [full] ὤεον, [full] ὤιον, v. sub fin.:—

A egg,

τίκτει ᾠὰ ἐν γῇ καὶ ἐκλέπει [ὁ κροκόδειλος] Hdt.2.68

;

ᾠὰ χήνεια Eriph. 7

; of all birds, Arist.HA559a15; but mostly of hens' eggs, Ar. Lys.856, Fr.185, etc.; [ᾠοῦ] τὸ λευκόν, τὸ ὠχρόν, Arist.HA559a18; τὸ πυρρόν, τὸ χρυσοῦν, Hp.Mul.2.171, Ath.9.376d; ᾠὰ ἡμιπαγέα half-boiled eggs, Hp.Acut. (Sp.) 53; ἑφθά, ὠμά, Thphr.Vert. 2;

ᾠὸν ῥοφεῖν Nicom.Com.3

;

καταπίνειν Antiph.140.5

;

ᾠὰ κολάπτειν Anaxil.18.4

(anap.); ᾠὰ γόνιμα fertile eggs, opp. ὑπηνέμια, ἄγονα, Arist.GA730a6,20; also

ᾠὰ πλήρη Id.Mete.359a14

; ᾠὸν τέλειον, opp. ἀτελές, Id.GA718b23,24; ᾠὸν ἀνεμιαῖον, ζεφύριον, wind-egg, Arar.6, Arist.HA560a6;

σμύρνης ᾠ.

lump,

Hdt.2.73

;

ὁ Χρόνος ἐγέννησεν ᾠόν Orph.Fr.54

, al., cf. Epimenid.5: metaph., ᾠὸν ἅπας γέγονεν he has become bald as an egg, AP11.398 ([place name] Nicias).

2 of the eggs or spawn of fish, Hdt.2.93;

τὰ ᾠὰ ἀφιᾶσι Arist.HA567b22

, cf. 525a7; of serpents, ib.558a26; of tortoises, ib.558a4.

3 of plants, seed, Id.GA731a6; cf.

ᾠοτοκέω 2

.

4 cupping-glass,

τὰ ἰατρικὰ ᾠὰ ὑέλινα ὄντακαὶ σύστομα Hero Spir.1

Prooem.: egg-shaped cup, Dinon 14. The word has the foll. forms: [dialect] Att. [full] ᾠόν ([etym.] - ?ᾠόνX), confirmed by Inscrr.

ὠιῶν IG11(2).224

A11,12 (Delos, iii B. C.), Papyri (

ὠιὰ χήνεα PCair.Zen. 130.26

(iii B. C.)), and later Mss.; [dialect] Aeol. [full] ὤιον, gen. ὠίω ([etym.] ¯ ?ᾠόνX ?ᾠόνX ¯ ), Sapph.56, 112; [full] ὤεον lbyc.16, Semon.11, Call.Epigr.6.10, Nic.Th.192, Arat.956; [full] ὤβεον is Argive acc. to Hsch. (i.e. ὤϝεον) ; ᾠόν oxyt. acc. to Theognost.Can.130; ὤεον proparox., ib.121. The form ὠόν, which Lat. ovum would lead us to expect, is found only in late texts (LXX De.22.6, Ev.Luc.11.12, etc.) and is due to loss of the [full] ι in ii B. C.; cogn. with Lat. ovum, OHGei, ONorse egg (prim. Germanic aiia-), whence Engl. egg.