Ruby's Greek Thread

[Ruby Novacna]

Word EVA opalal

The word opalal appears twice in the manuscript: as a label for a nymph in the inner band of labels on the Cancer page (<f72r3.27,@Lz> <!10:30>) and on 108r.35.

This word contains the glyph l twice, which, in my opinion, can transcribe l and i:

• ὀπαῖαι, pl fem of ὀπαῖος – with a hole or opening;
  
• ἁπᾰλαί, fem pl/ sg dat dor of ἁπαλός – soft to the touch, tender; of persons, delicate; metaph., soft, gentle; in bad sense, soft, effeminate, weak.
  

At the moment I don’t know which term is best for our nymph, but I find that the two l are slightly different, so if the last l transcribes i, the first would rather be l.