νέφος + ὄμβρος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
νεφροί
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
nephros
English translation (word)
kidney
Transliteration (Etymon)
nephos + ombros
English translation (etymon)
cloud + rain
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologica nominum 265
Ed.
R. Reitzenstein, M. Terentius Varro und Johannes Mauropus von Euchaita: eine Studie zur Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft, Leipzig: Teubner, 1901
Quotation
νεφῶν φερόντων ὄμβρον οἱ νεφροὶ τύπος
Translation (En)
The kidneys (nephroi) are a type of clouds (nephôn) bringing rain (ombron)
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
Inherited from PIE *negwhro-, found in Lat. nebrundines (Festus) (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Modern Greek has neutral νεφρό from medieval νεφρά, according to ήπατα. Νεφρο- is also used in many compounds. There is as well the vulgar form νεφρί, from older νεφρίον.
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology not found anywhere else. it is made out of the first syllable of the first word and the last syllable of the second one. The etymology relies on a metaphor, explicit in Mauropus' formulation