Watkins Calvert. Greek menoinā́ai: a dead metaphor

International Journal of American Linguistics. — 1985. — Vol. 51 (= Festschrift Eric Pratt Hamp). — P. 614-618Watkins argues that archaic Greek poetic verb menoinā́ō 'to desire eagerly' goes back to a noun *menonyă 'parturient woman' viz. one with her mind (*men-) concentrated on the desire to give birth.