κρύπτω
Word
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Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
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Ed.
Quotation
Κορυφή. τὸ μέσον τῆς κεφαλῆς. ὅτι τοῦ κ<ά>ρατος ὀροφή. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκρύφθαι ὑπὸ τῆς τριχός. κρυφή καὶ κορυφή
Translation (En)
Koruphē "top", the middle of the head, because it is the roof (orophē) of the head (karatos). But others say it comes from the fact it is hidden (kekruphthai) by hair, *kruphē, and koruphē. [Orion's main manuscrit has κέρατος ὀροφή: κάρατος is preserved in the Excerpta and the Byzantine Etymologica]
Parallels
Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.499 (κορυφή: κυρίως λέγεται τὸ μεσότοιχον τῆς κεφαλῆς, ὅτι τοῦ κάρα ἐστὶν ὀροφή. τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκρύφθαι ὑπὸ τὰς τρίχας, γίνεται κρυφή καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ο κορυφή); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 339 (Κορυφὴ, τὸ μέσον τῆς κεφαλῆς, ὅτι τῆς κάρας ἔστιν ὀροφή· τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκρύφθαι αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τῶν τρίχων, κρύφή τις οὖσα· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ο, κορυφή· ὁ δὲ Φιλόξενος ἐν τῷ περὶ διαλέκτων λέγει, ὅτι παρὰ τὸ κάρη γέγονε καρύπτω καὶ κρύπτω, μεταθέσει τοῦ α εἰς ο· ὡς παρὰ Θεοκρίτῳ· τὸν Λιβυκὸν κνάκωνα φυλάσσεο, μή τυ κορύψῃ· ἐκ τοῦ οὖν κορύπτω γέγονεν ὄνομα ῥηματικὸν κορυφή); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 531 (Κορυφή: Τὸ μέσον τῆς κεφαλῆς, ὅτι τῆς κάρας ἐστὶν ὀροφὴ, ἤγουν σκεπασμὸς τῆς κεφαλῆς. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ κρύπτω, κρύψω, κέκρυφα, κρυφὴ καὶ κορυφὴ, παρὰ τὸ κρύπτεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν τριχῶν. Φιλόξενος δὲ ἐν τῷ περὶ Ἰάδος διαλέκτου λέγει, ὅτι παρὰ τὸ κάρη γίνεται καρύπτω καὶ κορύπτω· ἐκ τούτου κορυφή); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 1237 (Κορυφή. τὸ μέσον τῆς κεφαλῆς. παρὰ τὸ τῆς κάρας κορυφὴν εἶναι. ἢ παρὰ τὸ κεκρύφθαι αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τῶν τριχῶν, κρυφὴ τὶς οὖσα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ο κορυφή. κορυφὴ καὶ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ ὄρους)
Comment
Derivational etymology. The starting point must be the adverb κρυφῇ "secretly", which differs from κορυφή by only one letter. This adverb was converted into a noun, then the addition of [o] yields κορυφή. The etymology is counter-intuitive because the top is usually described as prominent, visible, not hidden. This etymology only applies to the meaning "human head", not to the meaning "summit, top"