ἄχρι + βαιός

Word

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Fri, 06/25/2021 - 10:47

Word-form

ἀκριβής

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ-1 .
LSJ-2

Transliteration (Word)

akribēs

English translation (word)

exact

Transliteration (Etymon)

akhri + baios

English translation (etymon)

until + little

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 18

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἀκριβής, τινὲς παρὰ τὸ ἄχρι καὶ βαιόν

Translation (En)

Akribēs "exact": some say it comes from akhri "until" and baion "little"

Comment

This etymology parses the word as a compound of ἄχρι, a variant of μέχρι "until", and the old adjective βαιός "small", defining exactness as the capacity to go into details. From the structural point of view, it transposes a prepositional phrase *μέχρι βαιοῦ. From the formal point of view, it implies a change in the articulation of the consonant, from an aspirate [kh] to a plain [k], and all that remains of the adjective βαιός is the initial [b]. This etymology gave rise to a new etymology ἀκριβής / ἄχρι + βίος resulting from a copyist's mistake

Parallels

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); 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); Scholia in Aristophanem, Nub. 129a (ἀκριβῶν δὲ οὐ δυσχερῶν καὶ δυσκόλων, ἀλλ’ ἄχρι βαιοῦ καὶ τοῦ σμικροτάτου πολυπραγμοσύνην ἐχόντων)

Modern etymology

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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