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[351] ἐννεώροιο, nine years old. We should probably read “ἐννώροιο”: “ἐνν”- = “ἐνϝ”- from *“ἔνϝα”, for which form see Brugmann Gr. ii. § 173, G. Meyer Gr. § 405, and compare “ἐνν-ῆμαρ”: so also read “ἐννόργυιοι” Od. 11.312. The -“ε”- is due only to the influence of the more familiar “ἐννέα. -ωρος” from “ὥρα, ὧρος” (see Lex.), the same word as our year. Apparently oil improved by keeping, and we are to understand that nine-year oil is the very best. The word recurs also in Od. 10.19 “（ δῶκε δέ μ᾽ ἐκδείρας ἀσκὸν βοὸς ἐννεώροιο ）” , 390 “（ σιάλοισιν ἐοικότας ἐννεώροισιν ）” , Od. 11.311 (“ἐννέωροι γὰρ τοί γε καὶ ἐννεαπήχεες ἦσαν”), Od. 19.179 “Μίνως ἐννέωρος βασίλευε Διὸς μεγάλου ὀαριστής”). The last refers to the nine years' cycle or magnus annus of early Dorian chronology (see Evans in J. H. S. xiv. 356 after Hoeck Kreta i. 246 ff.). From associations of this sort the word may have grown into a round number denoting full maturity (not however in Od. 11.311). Compare the ‘ninety cities’ of Crete which come just before Od. 19.179; and for the “βοῦς” of Od. 10.19, Hes. Opp. 436 “βόε ἐνναετήρω . . τῶν γὰρ σθένος οὐκ ἀλαπαδνόν”. Any derivation from “νέ”（“ϝ”）“ος”, new, is forbidden by the synizesis with neglect of “ϝ”, as well as by other difficulties. Herondas viii. 5 calls long nights “νύκτες ἐννέωροι”, nine years (or hours?)

The Iliad, edited, with apparatus criticus, prolegomena, notes, and appendices. Walter Leaf. London. Macmillan. 1900.

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