λάπτω

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Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

λαῖλαψ

Transliteration (Word)

lailaps

English translation (word)

windstorm

Transliteration (Etymon)

laptō

English translation (etymon)

to lap, to drink eagerly

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 536

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, lambda, p. 96

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

(Theodoridis) λαῖλαψ· παρὰ τὸ λάπτω, ὁ μέλλων λάψω, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ω λάψ, ὡς φυλάξω φύλαξ, ἑλίξω ἕλιξ, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν λάλαψ, μετὰ προσθέσεως τοῦ ι λαῖλαψ. δηλοῖ δὲ τὴν λίαν {καὶ} σφοδρὰν καὶ ἐπιτεταμένην λαβρότητα τοῦ πνεύματος

Translation (En)

"lailaps "furious storm" comes from laptō "to drink eagerly", the future is lapsō, and by dropping of the [ō], laps, as in phulaxō "I will keep", phulax "guard", helixō "I will twist", helix "twisting"; by reduplication, *lalaps, and adjunction of the [i], lailaps. It means the extreme and intense violence of the wind."

Comment

The verb λάπτω given as etymon was etymologized as a compound of the intensive λα- and ἅπτω "to touch" (Orion, Etymologicum, lambda, p. 96, probably going back to Philoxenus although it is not in Theodoridis: Λάπτω. παρὰ τὸ λα μόριον ἐπίτασιν δηλοῦν, ὡς καὶ τὸ αρι, καὶ τὸ ερι, καὶ τὸ ζα. τὰ λάπτω οὖν δηλοῖ τὸ λίαν ἅπτεσθαι. λάπτοντες, οἷον προσκείμενοι τῷ ὕδατι) (see λάπτω / λα- + ἅπτω). Arguably, a windstorm "touches violently", and so does the λάβρος "violent" wind. And "to drink eagerly" was to "touch impetuously" water. But the etymology of λαῖλαψ implies the assumed etymological meaning of λάπτω "to touch violently", not the really attested meaning "to drink eagerly". It is a derivational etymology starting from the future form, which was customary for Philoxenus.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, lambda, p. 96 (Λαίλαψ. λάπτω, ὁ μέλλων λάψω, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ω, λὰψ, καὶ κατ’ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν, λαίλαψ, μετὰ προθέσεως τοῦ ι· δηλοῦσα τὴν λίαν καὶ σφοδρὰν καὶ ἐπιτεταμένην λαβρότητα τοῦ πνεύματος); Etym. Parvum, lambda 29 (Λαῖλαψ· παρὰ τὸ λάπτω λάψω λάψ, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν λάλαψ καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ Ϊ λαῖλαψ); Etym. Gudianum, lambda, p. 360 (Λαῖλαψ, παρὰ τὸ λάπτω, ὁ μέλλων λάψω, λὰψ, καὶ κατ’ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν λάλαψ, καὶ πρόσθεσιν τοῦ ι λαῖλαψ· δηλοῖ δὲ τὴν σφοδρὰν καὶ ἐπιτεταμένην λαβρότητα τοῦ πνεύματος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 558 (Λαίλαψ: Παρὰ τὸ λάπτω λάψω λάψ, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν, λαίλαψ· δηλοῖ δὲ τὴν σφοδρὰν καὶ ἐπιτεταμένην λαβρότητα τοῦ πνεύματος. Τὸ δὲ λάπτω, ἐκ τοῦ ΛΑ ἐπιτατικοῦ, καὶ σημαίνει τὸ λίαν ἅπτεσθαι)

Modern etymology

Reduplicated word of unknown etymology (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has λαίλαπα "windstorm" as a learned word

Entry By

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