μῆλον

μῆλον (A), τό, A. sheep or goat, ἢ βοῦν ἠέ τι μῆλον Od. 12.301 (cf. 299); μῆλον, ζατρεφέων αἰγῶν ὅς τις φαίνηται ἄριστος 14.105; elsewh. Hom. uses the pl. (to distinguish the gender, an Adj. is added, ἄρσενα μ. rams, wethers, Od. 9.438; ἔνορχα μ. Il. 23.147) to denote sheep or goats, ἔνθα δὲ πολλὰ μῆλʼ, ὄϊές τε καὶ αἶγες, ἰαύεσκον Od. 9.184; ὡς δὲ λέων μήλοισιν . . ἐπελθών, αἴγεσιν ἢ ὀΐεσσι Il. 10.485: generally, small cattle, opp. βόες, βόες καὶ ἴφια μ. 9.406, cf. Hes. Op. 786, 795, etc.; μ. καὶ βοῶν ἀγέλας Pi. P. 4.148; μ. καὶ ποίμνας S. Aj. 1061: abs., of sheep, ἄργυφα μ. Od. 10.85; μήλων εὐπόκοις νομεύμασιν A. Ag. 1416; of Europaʼs bull, Simon. 28; so μυκηθμοῖσι καὶ βρυχήμασιν . . μήλων of herds, A. Fr. 158: generally, beasts, opp. men, γαῖαν ἀνθρώποισι καὶ εὔφρονα μήλοις Pi. O. 7.63; esp. of sacrificial beasts, ib.80, A. Ag. 1057, etc.; also of beasts of chase, S. Fr. 1069:—Lyc. 106 has metaplast.gen. pl. μηλάτων. (Not found in Prose, exc. Hdt. ap. Sch.Il. 4.476. The Dor. form is μῆλον (not μᾶλον), Pi. P. 4.148, 9.64, al.; also in pr. nn., Εὔμηλος IG 12(3).540 (Thera), etc.; Boeot. μεῖλον in Πισίμειλος ib.7.3193.12 (Orchom., iii B.C.), etc.: cf. OIr. mīl ʼ(small) animal’, Dutch maal ‘young cow’.)