Definitions

Sorry, no definitions found. Check out and contribute to the discussion of this word!

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word athereloigon.

Examples

    Sorry, no example sentences found.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • ἀθηρηλοιγόν - The Greek word is αθηρηλοιγον (athereloigon)—an oracular periphrasis, literally meaning 'consumer of chaff', and attested only here. Later commentators unanimously identified the athereloigon as a ptuon, with the normal sense of 'shovel'.

    The `Winnowing Oar` (athereloigon) is an object that appears in Books XI and XXIII of Homer's Odyssey. In the epic, Odysseus is instructed by Tiresias to take an oar from his ship and to walk inland until he finds a `land that knows nothing of the sea`, where the oar would be mistaken for a winnowing fan. At this point, he is to offer a sacrifice to Poseidon, and then at last his journeys would be over.

    Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnowing_Oar

    January 25, 2011

  • Thanks for the etymological explanations on winnowing.

    For pictures about these ancient tools see: http://vunex.blogspot.be/2006/11/unknown-object-part-ii.html

    September 20, 2012