Editing Zagreus (section)

== Etymology and origins ==
According to [[Martin Litchfield West]], the "most plausible etymology" derives "Zagreus" from ''zagre'', which is "properly a pit for catching animals, but perhaps also one used for depositing animal remains or offerings to a chthonic deity", making Zagreus literally the "god of pitfalls".<ref>West 1983, p. 153.</ref> Based on this etymology, [[Károly Kerényi|Karl Kerényi]] concludes that ''zagreus'' was the Greek word for a "hunter who catches living animals", and that "an exact translation" of "Zagreus" would be "catcher of game".<ref>Kerényi, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cXL-QIIhn5gC&pg=PA82 82].</ref>

As West notes, the word ''zagre'', which only survives in [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]], has an Ionic ending.<ref>West 1983, p. 153 n. 29, see [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]] [https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/Γλώσσαι/Ζ s.v. ζάγρη], defined as [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=bo/qros βόθρος], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=la/paqon λάπαθον]. See also Kerényi, [https://books.google.com/books?id=cXL-QIIhn5gC&pg=PA82 p. 82], with note 101.</ref> So if "Zagreus" does derive from ''zagre'', then this would suggest an Ionian origin for Zagreus. But, according to Kerényi, Hesychius' definition of ''zagre'', "proves that the name contains the root ''zoë'' and ''zoön''", the Greek words for "life" and "Living thing",<ref>Kerényi, [https://books.google.com/books?id=cXL-QIIhn5gC&pg=PA82 p. 82]; [[LSJ]] s.vv. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dzwh%2F ζωή], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dzw%3D%7Con ζῷον].</ref> and according to West "the vocalism, Zā- for Zō-, points to a Doric or North-west Greek home for the god".<ref>West 1983, p. 153 n. 39. West speculates that "some poet writing in Ionic must have taken over the dialect word, probably as a technical term."</ref> 

The tenth-century ''Etymologicum Gudianum'' interpreted the name as "great hunter", deriving the word from ''za-'' ("very") and ''agreuein'' ("hunt"), an etymology rejected by both West and Kerényi.<ref>West 2003, [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/greek_epic_fragments_theban_cycle_alcmeonis/2003/pb_LCL497.61.xml p. 61 n. 17]; Kerényi, [https://books.google.com/books?id=cXL-QIIhn5gC&pg=PA82 p. 82]; Astour, p. 202 (which, while noting that this etymology "seems to be very plausible ... (such avatars of Dionysos as ''Aqht'' and Actaeon were famous hunters)", also says "the prefix ''za-'' normally goes with adjectives and not with nouns, while ''agreus'' is a noun".); ''Etymologicum Gudianum'' s.v. Ζαγρεύς [= ''[[Alcmeonis]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/greek_epic_fragments_theban_cycle_alcmeonis/2003/pb_LCL497.61.xml fr. 3 West]].</ref>
Others have suggested a relationship with the [[Zagros Mountains]] of western [[Iran]].<ref>West 1983, p. 153 n. 39; Astour, p. 202.</ref> While Michael C. Astour suggests a derivation from the [[Ugaritic]] ''Sġr'' (pronounced ''ṣaġru''?)  meaning "the Young One".<ref>Astour, pp. 202&ndash;204.</ref>