ἀ- + κρύπτω

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Word-form

ἀκριβής

Transliteration (Word)

akribēs

English translation (word)

exact

Transliteration (Etymon)

a- + kruptō

English translation (etymon)

not + to hide

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Peri orthographias,Lentz III/2, p. 471

Ed.

A. Lentz, Grammatici graeci vol. III/2, Leipzig, 1870

Quotation

ἀκριβής: διὰ τοῦ ι γράφεται. ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀφροδύτη γίνε
ται Ἀφροδίτη τροπῇ τοῦ υ εἰς ι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀκρυβής γίνεται ἀκριβής διὰ τοῦ ι. καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἀκριβῆ οὐδεὶς δύναται 
κρύψαι ἢ λαθεῖν τι.

Translation (En)

akribēs "exact" is spelled with [i], as from *Aphrodutē ("diving into the foam") comes Aphroditē by changing the [u] into [i], similarly from *akrubēs comes akribēs with [i]. As a matter of fact, nobody can hide (krupsai) or forget what is exact.

Comment

This etymology relies on iotacism, through which [u] merges with [i]: the base verb, κρύπτω, became κρύβω in Late and Medieval Greek, pronounced [krivo], and displaying the same phonetic sequence [kriv] as ἀκριβής [akrivis], although the spelling is different, hence the comment "by changing the [u] into [i]" (that is, changing *ἀκρυβής into ἀκριβής). The etymology is modelled on that of ἀληθής "true", privative compound of λήθω "to be ignored" (see ἀλήθεια / ἀ- + λήθη). As ἀληθής is that which cannot be ignored or forgotten, ἀκριβής is understood as that which cannot be hidden.

Parallels

Choeroboscus, De orthographia p. 171 (idem); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), alpha, p. 612 (ἀκριβὴς παρὰ τὸ κρύβω ἀκρυβής· καὶ τροπῆ τοῦ υ εἰς ι 
ἀκριβής); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 373 (Ἀκριβής· παρὰ τὸ κρύβω κρυβής καὶ ἀκριβής κατὰ τροπὴν τοῦ υ εἰς τὸ ι· καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἀκριβῆ οὐδεὶς δύναται κρύψαι ἢ λαθεῖν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄχρι καὶ τὸ βαιόν γίνεται ἀχριβής καὶ ἀκριβής· ὁ γὰρ ἀκριβὴς καὶ ἄχρι μικροῦ † καταγίνεται ); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 72 (Ἀκριβής· ἐκ τοῦ κρύβω κρυβής καὶ ἀκρυβής μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ υ εἰς ι γίνεται ἀκριβής. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄχρι καὶ τὸ βαιόν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ ὀλίγον, ἀχριβής καὶ ἀκριβής, ὁ καὶ τῶν ὀλίγων ἀκριβευόμενος. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀχριβής, ὁ μέχρι βίου ζητῶν. ἢ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀφροδύτη Ἀφροδίτη τροπῇ τοῦ υ εἰς ι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀκρυβής γίνεται ἀκριβής· τὸν γὰρ ἀκριβῆ οὐδεὶς δύναται κρύψαι ἢ λαθεῖν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 52 (Ἀκριβής: Παρὰ τὸ κρύβω κρυβὴς, καὶ ἀκριβὴς, τροπῇ τοῦ υ εἰς ἰῶτα· τὸν γὰρ ἀκριβῆ οὐδεὶς δύναται κρύψαι ἢ λαθεῖν τι. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄχρι καὶ τὸ βαιὸν, γίνεται ἀχριβὴς, καὶ ἀκριβής. Ὁ γὰρ ἀκριβὴς καὶ ἄχρι μικροῦ καταγινώσκεται. Οὕτως Ὠρίων καὶ Χοιροβοσκός); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 238 (ἀκριβής· παρὰ τὸ κρύβω κρυβής καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀκρυβής κατὰ τροπὴν τοῦ υ εἰς ι· καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἀκριβῆ † καταγίνεται. οὕτως Ὠρίων καὶ Χοιροβοσκός); Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν, alpha 101 (ἀκριβής: ἐκ τοῦ κρύβω κρυβής καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ υ εἰς ι μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀκριβής. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄχρι καὶ τὸ βαιόν (σημαίνει τὸ ὀλίγον) ἀχριβός καὶ ἀκριβής, ὁ καὶ τῶν ὀλίγων φειδόμενος)

Modern etymology

The word is probably related to ἄκρος "sharp, point", but the detail remains unclear.

Persistence in Modern Greek

Ακριβής is still used in Modern Greek as 1. exact/detailed, 2. corresponding totally with a standard/archetype. As a first compound it becomes ακριβο- in "ακριβοδίκαιος", 'being just to the utmost extent'.

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