[B-Greek] STOMA

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Fri Jun 6 06:04:13 EDT 2008


On May 27, 2008, at 3:17 PM, Beata Urbanek wrote:

> Dear B-Greekers,
>
> I'd like to know if the word STOMA is a typical way of naming an  
> edge of a sword.
> I wonder if there is any connection between these two meanings of  
> STOMA: mouth and edge. A connection which could be a base for the  
> metaphor of a sword as a word.
>
> Any help appreciated.
>
> Beata Urbanek
> University of Silesia, Poland

It occasionally happens that an inquiry sent to the list such as this  
one elicits no responses whatsoever. Whether any particular inquiry  
will draw any response or initiate a vigorous discussion is something  
I scratch my head at. All I can offer by way of a reason for the  
diversity of responses is that tastes differ: de gustibus non  
disputandum est. My inclination is to avoid commenting on something  
about which I know that my response would be merely speculative, but I  
know that I have on occasion found it impossible not to respond even  
when I realize all too well that I'm speculating. On the other hand, I  
like to keep unanswered inquiries in my "in" box for several days  
before filing them away on the chance that I might yet investigate  
that question a bit further and try to offer a response. On more than  
one occasion I have had off-list expressions of puzzlement, "Why won't  
anybody answer my question?!!" Well, there are several possible  
explanations (and I don't think the question itself deserves a thread  
of speculative answers!).

Beata's question is one that should send anyone to the lexicon (I  
didn't go there until prompted by an off-list query by Beata as to why  
there had been no response to her question!). And the lexicon (both  
BDAG and LSJ)  does not equivocate but offers a pretty clear answer:  
the metaphor here is of the front edge of something. BDAG #4 puts it  
pretty succinctly: "The sword, like the jaws of a wild animal, devours  
people." As soon as I read that, I remembered my fascination some  
years ago at the discovery of the metaphorical use of DAKNW ("bite")  
for stinging, annoying, stimulating, etc. That seems consistent with  
the usage of STOMA for the edge of the sword, the part of it that has  
the "bite" or "sting."

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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