The compound verb θρεττανελὸ is a unique Aristophanic coinage (hapax legomenon) formed from θρέττω (to rear/nourish) and ἀνέλω (to take up/destroy), creating a semantic tension between nurturing and consuming. While the exact etymology of the first element remains debated—some suggesting a connection to θρέμω (to feed) while others propose a dialectal or onomatopoeic origin—the verb functions here as a grotesque hyperbole, depicting the Cyclops not merely as a predator, but as one who rears his victims before devouring them. This lexical innovation exemplifies the comic poet's tendency to forge new compounds to achieve a specific, visceral comic effect that standard vocabulary could not sustain.