βρέχω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
βρέφος
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
brephos
English translation (word)
foetus, new-born babe
Transliteration (Etymon)
brekhō
English translation (etymon)
to wet
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 286
Ed.
E.L. de Stefani, Etymologicum Gudianum, fasc. 1 & 2, Leipzig, 1:1909; 2:1920
Quotation
Βρέφος : παρὰ τὸ εἰς φῶς βεβηκέναι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ φέρβω, τὸ τρέφω, φέρβος, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ φ εἰς β καὶ ‹τοῦ β εἰς φ καὶ› ἐν ὑπερβιβασμῷ τοῦ ρ βρέφος· ‹ἢ παρὰ τὸ βρέχω βρέχος καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ χ εἰς φ βρέφος›, τὸ ἐν κοιλίᾳ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ βεβρεγμένον ὄν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ τρέφω τρέφος, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ τ εἰς β βρέφος
Translation (En)
Brephos "new-born babe" : from the fact that it has come to light; or from pherbō "to fed", and by changing the [ph] into [b] ‹and the [b] into [ph]› and through metathesis of the [r], brephos; or from brekhō "to wet", *brekhos and by changing the [kh] into [ph], brephos, that which is wet in the womb of its mother; or from trephō "to feed", and by changing the [t] into [b], brephos"
Parallels
No parallel
Modern etymology
Βρέφος is cognate with the Slavic word for "foal", OCS žrěbę, žrěbьcь (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Βρέφος is still used in Modern Greek to denote 'a child, from the 2nd till the 12th month of birth'. "Θείο βρέφος" designates Jesus Christ. (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek).
Comment
Paronymic descriptive etymology relying on a phonetic manipulation, which is found only here.