ἀ- + φαίνω

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No

Last modification

Mon, 03/13/2023 - 21:52

Word-form

ἀφαυρός

Transliteration (Word)

aphauros

English translation (word)

feeble

Transliteration (Etymon)

a- + phainō

English translation (etymon)

not + to bring to light

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. *55

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Etymologicum Genuinum

Ref.

alpha 1446

Ed.

F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras, Etymologicum magnum genuinum. Symeonis etymologicum una cum magna grammatica. Etymologicum magnum auctum, vol. 1, Rome: Ateneo, 1976

Quotation

Ἀφαυρός· ... ἢ παρὰ τὸ φῶ, τὸ λέγω, ὁ μέλλων φάσω, γίνεται φαρός, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀφαρὸς καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ ἀφαυρός, ὁ μὴ δυνάμενος δι’ ἀσθένειαν λέξαι. ἢ παρὰ τὸ φῶ, τὸ φαίνω, γίνεται παράγωγον ῥῆμα φάω, οἷον „φάε δὲ χρυσόθρονος“ (Od. 14.502), καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ φαρὸς ὄνομα· καὶ κατὰ στέρησιν ἀφαρὸς καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ ἀφαυρός, ὁ ἀλαμπὴς καὶ εὐτελής.

Translation (En)

Aphauros "feeble": ...or from *phō, "to speak", future phasō, are made pharos, with the privative a- *apharos and by adding [u] aphauros, "one who can’t speak because of his weakness". Or from *phō, "to bring to light", is derived a verb phaō, as in "phae de khrusothronos" ["and golden-throned [Dawn] appeared"] (Od. 14.502), and from there comes the noun pharos; then with the privative a- *apharos and by adding [u] aphauros, "one who is dull and cheap".

Other translation(s)

Aphauros « frêle » : ...ou bien à partir de *phō, « parler », phasō au futur, sont faits pharos, avec le a- privatif *apharos et avec ajout du [u] aphauros, « celui qui ne peut pas parler par faiblesse ». ou bien à partir de *phō, « montrer, faire voir », est fait le verbe phaō, comme dans « phae de khrusothronos » [« Et [l’Aurore] au trône d’or apparut »] (Od. 14.502), et de ce dernier vient le nom pharos ; *apharos avec le a- privatif et aphauros avec ajout du [u], « celui qui est sans éclat et commun ».

Comment

Compositional etymology deriving the adjective from φῶ / φαίνω. What is weak is hardly visible (this applies for instance to a light). As in the alternative etymology ἀφαυρός / ἀ- + φημί, the adjective has a general meaning, which is assumed to be an extension out of the specific proper meaning of the etymon.

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 175 (Ἀφαυρός: Ὁ ἀσθενής· ἤτοι ὁ ἄγαν παῦρος καὶ ὀλίγος κατὰ δύναμιν. [...] Ἢ παρὰ τὸ φῶ, τὸ φαίνω, παράγωγον ῥῆμα, φάω· καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ φάρος ὄνομα· καὶ κατὰ στέρησιν, ἀφαρός· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ, ἀφαυρὸς, ὁ ἀλαμπὴς καὶ εὐτελής); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 328 (ἀφαυρός (Η 235)· ὁ ἀσθενής, ἤτοι—329, 4 ῥῆμα φάω, οἷον (ξ 502)· φάε δὲ χρυσόθρονος <Ἥρη>, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ—7 ἀφαυρός, ὁ ἀλαμπὴς καὶ εὐτελής); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 351 (Ἀφαυρός. ὁ ἀσθενὴς, ὁ ἄγαν παῦρος καὶ ὀλίγος κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν. [...] [ἢ παρὰ τὸ φῶ, τὸ φαίνω, γίνεται παράγωγον φάω, οἷον· —φάε δὲ χρυσόθρονος—. καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ φάρος ὄνομα, καὶ κατὰ στέρησιν ἀφαρὸς καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ ἀφαυρὸς, ὁ εὐτελὴς καὶ ἀλαμπής])

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Eva Ferrer