Κωμωδοτραγωδία (fr. 26)

129

Citation Context The Antiatticist probably cited this example against a gen-
eral condemnation of the word; cf. the condemnation of γελάσιμον (in favour
of γελοίος) at Phryn. Ecl. 403 (= Stratt. fr. 83); 199. That the dispute concerned
the use of the word in metonymy is less likely, since such poetic usages seem
not normally to have entered into Atticist disputes. These disputes concerned
primarily the correctness of particular forms and occasionally the grammatical
use of a certain word or form; for an example of the latter, see fr. 63. The use
of the feminine is unlikely to have been the point at issue, unless secondarily,
although the entry in the Antiatticist may be a remnant of a larger discussion
that included multiple examples, including the masculine at Stratt. fr. 83.
Text The transmitted text is clearly corrupt, and Bekker’s γελασίνην has
been universally accepted; in that case, the issue must be the use of the word
in metonymy. Better is Olson’s γελασίμην, which situates the debate within
the normal Atticist parameters of the correctness of a form and finds an exact
parallel in Phrynichus’ condemnation of γελάσιμον (Ecl. 199; 403).
Interpretation γελασίμη occurs nowhere else, but the masculine is found at
Stratt. fr. 83 (cf. Orth 2009 ad loc.) and as the name of a parasite in Plautus’
Stichus, while the neuter plural is attested at Luc. Somn. 5. Fraenkel 1922.
36 n. 2 (= 2007. 297 n. 24) characterized the parasite’s name as a ‘komische
Augensblicksbildung.’ This example and that in Anaxandrides may be depen-
dent on the earlier occurrence in Strattis, but are just as likely to have been
independent comic inventions. For the form, see Chantraine 1933. 204, who
notes the tendency for such forms to be used as ‘sobriquets’; Kuhner-Blass
1890-1892 11.288 §332.5; Wirth 1880. 53-6; Lobeck 1820. 226-8.
If Bekker’s γελασίνην is accepted, the word is a comic feminine form of
the normal word for ‘dimple’ used in metonymy; for comic feminine forms of
masculine nouns, cf. Ar. Nu. 666 άλεκτρύαινα, 678 καρδόπη. LSJ (accepting
Bekker’s emendation) misleadingly gloss this occurrence and that at Ael. VH
4.20 (the philosopher Democritus is called Γελασίνος; cf. Suda γ 108) as a
distinct sense ‘laugher’ rather than as simple metonymy. The word clearly
means ‘dimple’, although the attestations are late, e. g. Mart. 7.25.6 nec grata
est facies cui gelasinus abest-,]o. Mai. Chron. 5 p. 106; Rufin. 11.3 (= AP 5.35.3);
Alciphr. 4.14.5 (the last two of dimples on the buttocks); cf. Choerob. An.Ox.
2.188; EM p. 793.48-50; Suda γ 108. The only anomalous usage is at Poll.
2.91, where the word is referred (probably in error) to the front teeth that
are exposed when smiling. In addition to Aelian’s report of Γελασίνος as a
nickname for Democritus, LGPN report five examples of the proper name, all
from the second or third century AD; Solin 1996. 424 adds several more of the
same date from Rome.