τέρσομαι

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ters- (dry). Cognates include Latin terra, Sanskrit तृष्यति (tṛṣyati), Old Armenian թառամիմ (tʻaṙamim, I wither) and Old English þurst (English thirst).

Verb

τέρσομαι • (térsomai) (deponent)

  1. to be or become dry, dry up
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.151-153:
      τὸν δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ ἀκτῆς εὗρε καθήμενον· οὐδέ ποτʼ ὄσσε δακρυόφιν τέρσοντο, κατείβετο δὲ γλυκὺς αἰὼν νόστον ὀδυρομένῳ, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτι ἥνδανε νύμφη.
      tòn d ár ep aktês heûre kathḗmenon; oudé pot ósse dakruóphin térsonto, kateíbeto dè glukùs aiṑn nóston oduroménōi, epeì oukéti hḗndane númphē.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

Only the Epic Aorist infinitives τερσῆναι (tersênai) and τερσήμεναι (tersḗmenai) are attested for the Epic aorist, from which the remaining forms can be reconstructed.

Conjugation

References