βαίνω

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No

Last modification

Wed, 03/15/2023 - 17:21

Word-form

βάπτω

Transliteration (Word)

baptō

English translation (word)

to dip, to dye

Transliteration (Etymon)

bainō

English translation (etymon)

to walk

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. *61

Edition

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

Source

Etymologicum Genuinum

Ref.

beta 36

Ed.

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

Quotation

Bάπτω· παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ βαίνω, γίνεται βάπτω· <τρόπον γάρ τινα βαίνει κατὰ τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τὸ δευσοποιὸν χρῶμα>.

Translation (En)

Baptō "to dye": baptō is made from *, "to walk" [bainō] ; <because in a way the colored dye goes down [bainei kata] to the root [of what is being dyed]>.

Other translation(s)

Baptō « teindre » : baptō vient de *, « marcher » [bainō] ; <car d'une certaine manière la teinture descend au fond [bainein kata] [de ce qui est teint]>.

Comment

Derivational etymology relying on the idea that the process of dying implies that the color moves from one thing (the dying substance) to the other (the object to be dyed).

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 260 (Βάπτω· παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ βαίνω, παράγωγον βάπτω, οἷον ἐμβαίνειν ποιῶ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 187 (Βάπτω: Παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ βαίνω, παράγωγον βάπτω, οἷον ἐμβαίνειν ποιῶ. Τρόπον γάρ τινα  βαίνει κατὰ τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τὸ δευσοποιὸν χρῶμα); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 396 (βάπτω· παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ βαίνω· τρόπον γάρ τινα βαίνει κατὰ τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τὸ δευσοποιὸν χρῶμα); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, beta, p. 378 (Βάπτω. παρὰ [τὸ βῶ] τὸ βαίνω· τρόπον γάρ τινα βαίνει κατὰ τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τὸ δευσοποιὸν χρῶμα)

Modern etymology

Βαφή "dye" implies a stem *βαφ-. Germanic forms derived from *gwep are compared (ON kvefja "to immerse"),. This would imply a new zero grade in Greek: not impossible but not certain (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG no longer has the verb but still has derivatives such as βαφτίζω/βαπτίζω "to baptize" with the original meaning "to dip".

Entry By

Eva Ferrer