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''Eunuch'' comes from the Greek ''eunoukhos''. In the Middle Ages, [[Eustathius of Thessalonica]] (Commentaries on Homer 1256.30, 1643.16) derived the word from ''eunis'' + ''ocheuein'', "deprived of mating",<ref name="Maass 1925 437">{{cite journal|last=Maass|first=Ernst|title=Eunouchos und Verwandtes|journal=Rheinisches Museum|year=1925|volume=74|page=437}}</ref> while [[Theophylact of Ohrid]] in a dialogue ''In Defence of Eunuchs'' claimed the word came from ''eunoos'', "well-minded, friendly".<ref>{{cite book|last=Gautier|first=Paul, ed. and tr.|title=Théophylacte d'Achrida: Discours, Traités, Poésies|year=1980|publisher=Association de Recherches Byzantines|location=Thessaloniki|pages=308–309}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ringrose|first=Kathryn M.|title=The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium|year=2003|publisher=University of Chicago|location=Chicago|isbn=0-226-72015-2|pages=16, 39}}</ref> The 11th century Byzantine monk Nikon of the Black Mountain agreed with the latter derivation in his ''Taktikon''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Benesevic|first=V.N.|title=Taktikon Nikona Cernogorca|year=1917|location=St. Petersburg|pages=99}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gautier|first=Paul, ed. and tr.|title=Théophylacte d'Achrida: Discours, Traités, Poésies|year=1980|publisher=Association de Recherches Byzantines|location=Thessaloniki|pages=308 note 34}}</ref> On the other hand, Byzantine emperor [[Leo VI the Wise]], in his New Constitution 98 banning the marriage of eunuchs, noted eunuchs' reputation as trustworthy guardians of marriage beds and deemed the word eunuch to be related to a Greek word for bed, ''eune''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Noailles|first=P., and A. Dain|title=Les Nouvelles de Leon VI le Sage|year=1944|location=Paris|pages=325}}</ref> Modern etymologists have followed Leo VI's lead in deriving it from ''eune'', "bed," + -''ekhein'', "to have, hold", interpreting the original meaning to be "guardian of the bedroom of another person".<ref name="Maass 1925 437"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Chantraine|first=Pierre|title=Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque - Histoire des mots, Vol. 2, E-K|year=1970|publisher=Éditions Klincksieck|location=Paris|pages=385–386}}</ref> However, the rules of Greek vowel contractions (see [[crasis]]) seem to favor the view of either Eustathius or Theophylact and Nikon, since the ''ou'' in eun''ou''khos requires an o-sound between the contracted words, such as the o-sound at the start of ''ocheuein'' or on the end of the stem of ''euno-''. |
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''Eunuch'' comes from the Greek ''eunoukhos''. In the Middle Ages, [[Eustathius of Thessalonica]] (Commentaries on Homer 1256.30, 1643.16) derived the word from ''eunis'' + ''ocheuein'', "deprived of mating",<ref name="Maass 1925 437">{{cite journal|last=Maass|first=Ernst|title=Eunouchos und Verwandtes|journal=Rheinisches Museum|year=1925|volume=74|page=437}}</ref> while [[Theophylact of Ohrid]] in a dialogue ''In Defence of Eunuchs'' claimed the word came from ''eunoos'', "well-minded, friendly".<ref>{{cite book|last=Gautier|first=Paul, ed. and tr.|title=Théophylacte d'Achrida: Discours, Traités, Poésies|year=1980|publisher=Association de Recherches Byzantines|location=Thessaloniki|pages=308–309}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ringrose|first=Kathryn M.|title=The Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium|year=2003|publisher=University of Chicago|location=Chicago|isbn=0-226-72015-2|pages=16, 39}}</ref> The 11th century Byzantine monk Nikon of the Black Mountain agreed with the latter derivation in his ''Taktikon''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Benesevic|first=V.N.|title=Taktikon Nikona Cernogorca|year=1917|location=St. Petersburg|pages=99}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gautier|first=Paul, ed. and tr.|title=Théophylacte d'Achrida: Discours, Traités, Poésies|year=1980|publisher=Association de Recherches Byzantines|location=Thessaloniki|pages=308 note 34}}</ref> On the other hand, Byzantine emperor [[Leo VI the Wise]], in his New Constitution 98 banning the marriage of eunuchs, noted eunuchs' reputation as trustworthy guardians of marriage beds and deemed the word eunuch to be related to a Greek word for bed, ''eune''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Noailles|first=P., and A. Dain|title=Les Nouvelles de Leon VI le Sage|year=1944|location=Paris|pages=325}}</ref> Modern etymologists have followed Leo VI's lead in deriving it from ''eune'', "bed," + -''ekhein'', "to have, hold", interpreting the original meaning to be "guardian of the bedroom of another person".<ref name="Maass 1925 437"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Chantraine|first=Pierre|title=Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque - Histoire des mots, Vol. 2, E-K|year=1970|publisher=Éditions Klincksieck|location=Paris|pages=385–386}}</ref> However, the rules of Greek vowel contractions (see [[crasis]]) seem to favor the view of either Eustathius or Theophylact and Nikon, since the ''ou'' in eun''ou''khos requires an o-sound between the contracted words, such as the o-sound at the start of ''ocheuein'' or on the end of the stem of ''euno-''. |