ἀναξυρίδες <Iranian?; Classical period>
👉 ἀναξυρίδες (pl.; rarely, sg. ἀναξυρίς) f. – ‘wide, long trousers (worn especially by the Persians, Scythians, etc.)’ (Hdt. 1.71, 3.87 etc.; Xen., Cyrop. 8.3.13; Anab. 1.5.8; etc.). Cf. ξυρίδες (pl.) ‘a kind of shoes’ (Phot. ξ 67) that is probably a back formation from ἀναξυρίδες.
⚠ The ancient authors mention that these trousers were worn especially by different Iranian peoples: the Persians (Hdt. 1.71, 3.87, 7.61; Xen., Cyrop. 8.3.13; Anab. 1.5.8; Dio Chrys. 72.3; Poll. 7.58; etc.), the Scythians (Hdt. 7.64; Hp., De aër. 22), the Bactrians (Dio Chrys. 72.3), the Parthians (Dio Chrys. 72.3), and, in general, the “Barbarians” (Hdt. 5.49; Dio Chrys. 72.3; Polyaen. 1.34.2). Cf. also the expressions: ἀναξυρίδες Περσικαί (Max. Tyr. 14.8c) and ἀναξυρίδες Μηδικαί (Arr., Anab. 6.29.6).
🅔 Probably an Iranian word, Hellenized under the influence of the prefix ἀνα-, suffix -ιδ- and, perhaps, ξυρόν n. ‘razor’ (and related words). The plant name ἀναξυρίς f. ‘sorrel (Rumex acetosa L.)’ (Dsc. 2.114; Schol. in Nic. Th. 838) seems to be of Greek origin. According to a hypothesis, ἀναξυρίδες is also a Greek word that consists of ἀνα- and ξυρίδ- being a derivative of ξυρόν n. ‘razor’. Moreover, cf. two improbable Iranian etymologies: 1. from Old Iranian ana- (cf. Avestan ana ‘on, upon, along’) and *xšūri- ‘calf’ (reconstructed on the basis of Latin sūra ‘id.’); 2. from an Old Persian word connected with Modern Persian čaxjīr ‘wide trousers which tie round the ankle’ (with the Greek prefix ἀνα-).
📖 Ref.: cf. Brust 2008: 71-76; EDG: 99; Hemmerdinger 1970: 55f.; Pisani 1942; Schmeja 1978; Schmitt 1971: 96.