An interesting point, Paul. In this case it would appear that the noun (and
adjective) derive directly from hAMARTANW, so that the word itself doesn't
involve an alpha-privative. There is older etymological speculation,
however, of some questionability but nevertheless interesting, that
hAMARTANW derives from older verbs AMERDW and AMEIRW (Renaissance English,
seen in Milton: "amerce"), which would be constructed of alpha privative +
the root MER/MOR/MAR "portion," or "part" (as seen in MOIRA, "destiny,"
MEROS, "part," and MOROS, "death"); the supposition is that the verb would
mean something like "have no part in/of" and would take an ablatival
genitive). But the rough breathing is still somewhat problematic in this
explanation. This is the sort of wondrous game-playing that etymology can
get into, often "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
Summer: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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