ξέω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
ξίφος
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
xiphos
English translation (word)
sword
Transliteration (Etymon)
xeō
English translation (etymon)
to shave, to scrape
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, xi, p. 111
Ed.
F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820
Quotation
Ξίφος. παρὰ τὸ ξέειν. οὕτως εὗρον ἐν Ὑπομνήματι ....
Translation (En)
Xiphos "sword" : from xeein "to scrape". This is what I found in a Commentary
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, xi, p. 415 (Ξίφος, παρὰ τὸ ξέειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ὀξύνεσθαι πρὸς φονόν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ξύω ξύσω, ξύφος καὶ ξίφος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 611 (Ξίφος: Παρὰ τὸ ξαίνειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ὀξύνεσθαι πρὸς φόνον. Ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύω, ξύσω, ξύφος, καὶ ξίφος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ σκηρίπτω, σκίπος σκίφος, καὶ ξίφος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, xi, p. 1417 (Ξιφήν. ὁ φέρων ξίφος. τὸ δὲ ξίφος παρὰ τὸ ξαίνω. οὕτως εὗρον ἐν ὑπομνήμασιν Ἰλιάδος)
Modern etymology
Mycenaean has a dual qi-si-pe-e /kwsiphhehe/. Probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Yes, as a learned word
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
For the detail, see ξίφος / ξύω. In the Byzantine Etymologica, ξέω is replaced by the synonym ξαίνω, which results in an elliptic etymology).