Editing Nereus (section)

== Name ==
The name Nereus is absent from [[Homer]]'s epics; the god's name in the [[Iliad]] is the descriptive {{lang|grc|ἅλιος γέρων}} {{gloss|[[Old Man of the Sea]]}}, and in the [[Odyssey]] the combination of {{lang|grc|ἅλιος γέρων}} and {{lang|grc|Πρωτεύς}} {{gloss|[[Proteus]]}}.<ref name="Tsantsanoglou-Chantraine-LSJ">{{harvnb|Tsantsanoglou|2015|p=5}}; {{harvnb|Chantraine|1968|p=751}}; {{Cite web |title=Νηρεύς – Ancient Greek (LSJ) |url=https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CE%9D%CE%B7%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%8D%CF%82#Greek_Monolingual |website=lsj.gr}}</ref> Besides Nereus and Proteus, the descriptive "Old Man of the Sea" was used for other [[Greek water deities#Old men and nymphs|water deities in Greek mythology]] who share several traits, among them [[Phorcys]], [[Glaucus]], and perhaps [[Triton (mythology)|Triton]]. It is suggested that the "Old Man of the Sea" had at one time played a [[cosmogonic]] role comparable to that of [[Oceanus]] and could have received different names in different places.<ref>{{harvnb|Rudhardt|1992|p=82}}</ref> It is not known whether the name Nereus was known to Homer or not, but the name of the [[Nereids]] is attested before it and can be found in the Iliad.<ref name="Tsantsanoglou-Chantraine-LSJ" /> Since Nereus only has relevance as the father of the Nereids, it has been suggested that his name could actually be derived from that of his daughters;<ref>{{harvnb|Beekes|van Beek|2010|pp=ix, xliii, 1017}}; {{harvnb|Tsantsanoglou|2015|p=14}}</ref> while the derivation of the Nereids from Nereus, as a [[patronymic]], has also been suggested.<ref>{{harvnb|Beekes|van Beek|2010|pp=ix, xliii, 1017}}</ref> According to [[Martin Litchfield West]] (1966), Nereus is much less important than his daughters, mentioning that [[Herodotus]] offered "the Nereids, not Nereus, as an example of a divine name not derived from Egypt".<ref>{{harvnb|Litchfield West|1966|p=233}}</ref>

In [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'', where the name was first attested, Nereus is presented in immediate juxtaposition to [[Eris (mythology)|Eris]], and this extends to their children. First of all, there exists a feminine-masculine opposition. Eris is the oldest and most important child of [[Nyx]], while Nereus is [[Pontus (mythology)|Pontus]]' oldest and most important son. Hesiod chooses verbs and adjectives to describe Nereus in juxtaposition to Eris' children, such as {{lang|grc|ἀ-ψευδέα}} {{gloss|does-not-lie}} and {{lang|grc|ἀ-ληθέα}} {{gloss|does-not-forget}}, as opposed to {{lang|grc|Ψευδέα}} {{gloss|Lies}} and {{lang|grc|[[Lethe|Λήθη]]}} {{gloss|Forgetfulness}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Litchfield West|1966|pp=232–234}}; {{harvnb|Prier|1976|pp=40–41}}; {{harvnb|Scully|2015|pp=16–18}}; {{harvnb|Scully|2018|pp=87–89}}; {{harvnb|Vergados|2020|pp=87–89}}</ref> This has prompted scholars to propose a [[etymology|derivation]] from {{lang|grc|Ἔρις}} {{transliteration|grc|Eris}} {{gloss|Discord}} with the [[negation (linguistics)| negative prefix]] {{lang|grc|νη{{nbh}}}} {{transliteration|grc|ne{{nbh}}}} added to it; namely, ''Ne-Eris'' {{gloss|Not-Discord}}, which evolved to {{lang|grc|Νηρεύς}} (< {{lang|grc|νη-ερ(ι)-ευς}}).<ref>{{harvnb|Scully|2015|p=18}}; {{harvnb|Scully|2018|p=88}}; {{harvnb|Vergados|2020|p=89}}</ref> Furthermore, Hesiod [[wordplay|plays]] with the verbal likeness between ''Nereus'' and his last daughter {{lang|grc|Νημερτής}} {{transliteration|grc|Nemertes}} {{gloss|Unerring}}, whose name also bears the negative prefix {{lang|grc|νη{{nbh}}}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Prier|1976|p=40}}</ref>

Another possible etymology could be from {{lang|grc|νηρόν}}, {{transliteration|grc|nerón}} {{gloss|(fresh) water or fish}}, which is a [[Contraction (grammar)|contraction]] of the Greek adjective {{lang|grc|νεαρός}}, {{transliteration|grc|nearós}} {{gloss|new, fresh, young}}.<ref name="Beekes2010">{{harvnb|Beekes|van Beek|2010|pp=ix, xliii, 1017–1018}}</ref> It is commonly believed that the contraction of νεαρός to νηρός happened later than Hesiod; however, the contraction of [[Epsilon|ε]] and [[Alpha|α]] to [[Eta|η]] is quite old and widespread over many Greek dialects.<ref>{{harvnb|Tsantsanoglou|2015|pp=11–12}}</ref>

The name could be related to the [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychian]] glosses {{lang|grc|νηρίδας}} {{gloss|hollow rocks}} or {{lang|grc|νηρόν}} {{gloss|low-lying}}. [[Robert S. P. Beekes]] (2010) favors a [[Pre-Greek]] (pre-[[Indo-European]]) origin, as is suggested by the suffix {{lang|grc|{{nbh}}εύς}},{{nbsp}}{{transliteration|grc|{{nbh}}eús}}.<ref name="Beekes2010" /> Another view is that of [[Apostolos Athanassakis]] (1983), who suggested an [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] origin for the name and compared it to the [[Albanian language|Albanian]] word {{lang|sq|njeri}} {{gloss|man}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Athanassakis|2004|p=43}}</ref>

According to [[August Fick]] (1890), the closest [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] relative of ''Nereus'' and ''Nereids'' is the [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] verb {{lang|lt|nérti}} {{gloss|to dive}}; moreover, the Lithuanian noun {{lang|lt|nėrõvė}} {{gloss|mermaid}} has been associated with the Nereids.<ref name="Tsantsanoglou2015">{{harvnb|Tsantsanoglou|2015|p=14}}</ref> Papachristophorou (1998) supported a derivation from the aforementioned Lithuanian verb, citing [[Pierre Chantraine]] (1968),<ref>{{harvnb|Papachristophorou|1998|p=190}}; {{harvnb|Chantraine|1968|p=751}}</ref> while Tsantsanoglou (2015) considered the relation plausible.<ref name="Tsantsanoglou2015" />

The name of the Nereids has survived in [[modern Greek folklore]] as [[wikt:νεράιδα|νεράιδες]], {{transliteration|el|neráides}} {{gloss|fairies}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Chantraine|1968|p=751}}; {{harvnb|Papachristophorou|1998|p=190}}; {{harvnb|Litchfield West|1966|p=233}}</ref>