"Αἰὼν," ITS DERIVATION.
As the old postulate respecting the etymology of this important word, from ἀεὶὢν, however superficial, is too attractive to be surrendered, even in the present day, by some respectable authorities, the judgment of your classical correspondents is requested, as to the accuracy of the more philosophical origin of the term which has been adopted by commentators of unquestionable erudition and undisputed eminence.
The rule by which those distinguished scholars, Lennep and Scheidius, determine the etymology of Αἰὼν, is as follows:
"Nomina in ων desinentia, formata ab aliis nominibus, collectiva sunt, sive copiam earum rerum, quæ primitivo designantur notant—ut sunt δενδρὼν, a δένδρον, arboretum; Ἐλαιὼν, olivetum, ab Ἔλαιον; Ῥοδῶν, rosetum, a ῥόδον (also the nouns ἀγκὼν, ἀγὼν, ἀκρέμων, βονβὼν, παιὼν, πλούτων, πώγων, χιτὼν).—Nempe formata videntur hæc nomina in ων, a genitivis pluralibus substantivorum. Genitivus singularis horum nominum, in ωνος, contractione sua, hanc originem satis videtur demonstrare."
In immediate reference to the word Αἰὼν, they say:
"Αἰὼν, Ævum, Æternitas. Nomen ex eo genere, quod natura sua collectionem et multitudinem rerum notat; ut patet ex terminatione ων. Quemadmodum in voce ἀεὶ, vidimus eam esse translatam eximie ad significationem temporis, ab illa flandi, spirandive, quæ est in origine ἄω; sic in nostro Αἰὼν eadem translationis ratio locum habet; ut adeo quasi temporum collectionem, vel multitudinem significet. A qua denuo significatione propriâ profectæ sunt eæ, quibus vel ævum, vel æternitatem, vel hominis ætatem descripsere veteres. Formata (vox) est a nomine inusitato Αἰὸς, vel Ἀϊὸς, quod ab ἄϊς, cujus naturam, in voce ἀεὶ, expossi. Cæterum, a Græco nostro Αἰὼν, interposito digammate Æolico, ortum, est ἈἰϜὼν, et hinc Lat. ævum."
As then it is impossible to place Αἰὼν, whose genitive is Αἰῶνος, in the same category with the derivatives from ὢν, the participle present of Εἰμὶ, whose genitive is ὄντος; and as, secondly, this derivation places the word out of the range of the collective nouns so declined, which are derived from other nouns, as this appears to be, can the real etymology of the word Αἰὼν, and its derivatives, remain any longer a matter of question and debate?
C. H. P.