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#186469 08/14/09 01:14 AM
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Somewhere, somewhen I came across this word. However, now that I'm looking for it, I can find it anywhere. The definition I had is the same as a symposiarch - a kind of sommelier in ancient greece.

Does (or did) the word exist? With this meaning or any other?

Or have I just made it up?

doc_comfort #186470 08/14/09 01:53 AM
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The only reference I could find was to it being a type of carafe.

olly #186471 08/14/09 02:01 AM
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How'd that H get in there?

doc_comfort #186475 08/14/09 02:25 AM
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This is as close as I could find, Honey, but like olly's it doesn't mean a person, it's a thing.
Oenochoai
a wine pitcher or jug, characterized by a curved handle extending from the lip to the shoulder, and a round or trefoil mouth.
(Dictionary.com)

doc_comfort #186481 08/14/09 05:15 AM
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Well, wine in Greek is οινος (oinos). There is a verb οινοχοεω (oinokhoeō) 'to pour out wine' and a noun οινοχοος (oinokhoos) 'wine pourer; cup-bearer'. Its plural would be οινοχοοι (oinokhooi). I suppose the latter could be transliterated into the Latin alphabet as oenochoi.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
zmjezhd #186485 08/14/09 06:17 AM
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looks easier to say than sommelier after a few too many samples; you could kind of slur it out and as long as you managed some sort of k sound the guy (or jug) would still show up to serve you.

Zed #186490 08/14/09 11:59 AM
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Ha! for the comment.
Something related to the word οινοχόος

link
Jim, could you translate what's written under the monochrome image?

Last edited by BranShea; 08/14/09 12:11 PM.
BranShea #186495 08/14/09 01:47 PM
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could you translate what's written under the monochrome image?

There is more than one monochromatic picture on the page, but I'll assume that it's the one you searched on. Another caveat, my Classical Greek is not that good, and my Modern Greek is almost non-existent aside from some pleasantries and food items. The page is in Modern Greek. One hint is in the caption under the image:

Η δηλητηρίαση του Αλέξανδρου σε μεσαιωνική παράσταση. Μπροστά διακρίνεται ο οινοχόος Ιόλλας που έριξε το δηλητήριο στο κρασί του

Μπροστά (Mprosta) 'before, ahead, in front'. The phonology of Modern Greek is quite different from Classical Greek. Think of the difference between Latin and Italian. {β} beta was pronounced /b/ in CGk, but is pronounced /v/ in MGk. {μπ} is a digraph for /b/ in MGk.

Anyway: The poisoning of Alexander in a Medieval representation. In front is Iollas (link), the cup-bearer, who threw the poison in.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
zmjezhd #186501 08/14/09 06:42 PM
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Thank you, yes it was the caption under that image I meant. "οινοχοος (oinokhoos) 'wine pourer; cup-bearer'. Its plural would be οινοχοοι (oinokhooi). "
I've always found 'sommelier' a very strange word, considering where it stands for. It makes me think of sommeil and oreiller (sleep and pillow) Well, the sommelier in this picture provides an eternal sleep for sure.


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