(ἀπο)στυγεῖν vs. μισεῖν "hate"

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
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Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

(ἀπο)στυγεῖν vs. μισεῖν "hate"

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Romans 12:9 wrote:Ἡ ἀγάπη ἀνυπόκριτος. Ἀποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρόν, κολλώμενοι τῷ ἀγαθῷ.
ἀποστυγεῖν is a word whose meaning, in my opinion, is derived from the face (perhaps specifically the lower lip)/ facial expressions - like pouting the spoon away from the mouth. Make a discernible express of your dislike. (cf. καταστυγεῖν - shocked look with the lower lip tense and down, and φαιδρός presumably bright-faced not spoilt by the sullen lower lip protruding - LSJ entry for στυγνός)
LSJ στυγέω wrote:stronger than μισέω, for it means to show hatred, not merely to feel it
The example given is from
Euripides, [i]Electra[/i] lines 1015-1019 wrote:Κλυταιμήστρα
...
ὡς μὲν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν, οὐ καλῶς: τὸ πρᾶγμα δὲ
μαθόντας, ἢν μὲν ἀξίως μισεῖν ἔχῃ,
στυγεῖν δίκαιον: εἰ δὲ μή, τί δεῖ στυγεῖν;
ἡμᾶς ἔδωκε Τυνδάρεως τῷ σῷ πατρί,
οὐχ ὥστε θνῄσκειν, οὐδ᾽ ἃ γειναίμην ἐγώ.

Clytemnestra
...
In my opinion, not rightly; but it is correct for those who learn about the matter to hate, if it deserves hatred; if not, why hate at all? Now Tyndareus gave me to your father not so that I or any children I might bear should die.
In other words, don't hide your disgust / hatred / revoltion - "Don't hide your hatred!" - let it show, and let others notice it. Putting that together with the ἀπο- presumably to show dislike and refusal to accept it.

If the lower lip (and so on metaphorically for other ways to show feelings and rejection of something) is anything on target for the context of meaning for ἀποστυγεῖν, fair enough, but what is the context of meaning for μισεῖν? Just the thoughts and heart?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
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