Editing Asclepius (section)

== Etymology ==
The etymology of the name is unknown. In his revised version of [[Hjalmar Frisk|Frisk's]] ''Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch'' (''Greek Etymological Dictionary''), [[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]] gives this summary of the different attempts:

:"H. Grégoire (with R. Goossens and M. Mathieu) in ''Asklépios, Apollon Smintheus et Rudra'' 1949 (Mém. Acad. Roy. de Belgique. Cl. d. lettres. 2. sér. 45), explains the name as "the mole-hero", connecting {{lang|grc|σκάλοψ, ἀσπάλαξ}} '[[Mole (animal)|mole]]' and refers to the resemblance of the [[Tholos (architecture)|Tholos]] in [[Epidaurus|Epidauros]] and the [[Molehill|building of a mole]]. (Thus [[Jaan Puhvel|Puhvel]], ''Comp. Mythol''. 1987, 135.) But the variants of Asklepios and those of the word for "mole" do not agree.

:The name is typical for Pre-Greek words; apart from minor variations ({{lang|grc|β}} for {{lang|grc|π}}, {{lang|grc|αλ(α)}} for {{lang|grc|λα}}) we find {{lang|grc|α/αι}} (a well known variation; [[Edzard Johan Furnée|Fur.]] 335–339) followed by {{lang|grc|-γλαπ-}} or {{lang|grc|-σκλαπ-/-σχλαπ/β-}}, i.e. a [[Voiced velar plosive|voiced velar]] (without {{lang|grc|-σ-}}) or a [[Voiceless velar plosive|voiceless velar]] (or an [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]] one: we know that there was no distinction between the three in the [[Pre-Greek substrate|substr. language]]) with a {{lang|grc|-σ-}}. I think that the {{lang|grc|-σ-}} renders an original [[affricate]], which (prob. as {{lang|grc|δ}}) was lost before the {{lang|grc|-γ-}} (in Greek the group {{lang|grc|-σγ-}} is rare, and certainly before another consonant).

:[[Oswald Szemerényi|Szemerényi's]] etymology (''[[Journal of Hellenic Studies|JHS]]'' 94, 1974, 155) from [[Hittite language|Hitt.]] ''assula(a)-'' "well-being" and ''piya-'' "give" cannot be correct, as it does not explain the [[Velar plosive|velar]]."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060927153444/http://www.indoeuropean.nl/cgi-bin/startq.cgi?flags=endnnnl&root=leiden&basename=%5Cdata%5Cie%5Cgreek Greek etymology database]  (online source requires login and is located at [http://iedo.brillonline.nl/dictionaries/content/greek/index.html;jsessionid=02B0AB2A20E711C0F132C3A936DBC4E1 iedo.brillonline.nl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929010446/http://iedo.brillonline.nl/dictionaries/content/greek/index.html;jsessionid=02B0AB2A20E711C0F132C3A936DBC4E1 |date=29 September 2014 }}). Originally: {{cite web |url=http://www.indoeuropean.nl/cgi-bin/startq.cgi?flags=endnnnl&root=leiden&basename=\data\ie\greek |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-04-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928002957/http://www.indoeuropean.nl/cgi-bin/startq.cgi?flags=endnnnl&root=leiden&basename=%5Cdata%5Cie%5Cgreek |archive-date=28 September 2007}} Also in: [[Robert S. P. Beekes|R.S.P. Beekes]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 151.</ref>

Beekes suggested a [[Pre-Greek]] proto-form ''*(a)-s<sup>y</sup>klap-''.<ref>[[Robert S. P. Beekes|R.S.P. Beekes]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. xxv.</ref>

His name may mean "to cut open" from a story about his birth.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Asklepios|url=https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Asklepios.html#:~:text=ASKLEPIOS%20(Asclepius)%20was%20the%20god,)%20princess%20Koronis%20(Coronis).|access-date=25 November 2020|website=Theoi.com}}</ref>