LEXICON OF ORIENTAL WORDS IN ANCIENT GREEK

ἀσοήθ <Egyptian; Roman period>

👉 ἀσοήθ (vv.ll. ἀσοηθ, ἀσόνθ) – an Egyptian gloss with the meaning of ἀρνόγλωσσον ‘plantain (Plantago major L.)’ (Dsc. 2.126 RV).

⚠ Dsc. 2.126 RV: ἀρνόγλωσσον· (...) Αἰγύπτιοι ἀσοήθ (...). – “Arnoglōsson (plantain): (...) the Egyptians (call it) asoēth (...)”. Cf. the Egyptian glosses in Ps.-Apul., Herb. 1: asaer ‘id.’ and thetarion ‘id.’.

🅔 An Egyptian word without etymology. Cf. an old hypothesis: from the Egyptian jsw prob. ‘reed’.

📖 Ref.: cf. Wiedemann 1883: 14.