φύω
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Πῦρ. φῦρ ἐστὶν, ὅτι φεγγόμενον ἐξανίσταται, ἢ παρὰ τὸ φύω φῦρ, τί γὰρ εὐφυέστερον πυρός;
Translation (En)
Pūr "fire": it is *phūr, because it shines (phengomenon) while rising. Or from phuō "to grow", *phūr. Indeed, what grows better than fire?
Parallels
Choerobuscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p.116, 6 (ἐμπυρίζεται, ἐκ τοῦ πῦρ πυρὸς, πυρίζω καὶ ἐμπυρίζω, τὸ δὲ πῦρ παρὰ τὸ φύω, τὸ ἀναβλαστάνω· φῦρ καὶ πῦρ. Εἰς τὸ πῦρ περισπωμένη, διατί; Πᾶν ὄνομα μονοσύλλαβον περισπᾶται, καὶ γίνεται ἐμπυρίζω· πᾶσα συλλαβὴ εἰς Ν λήγουσα ...); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, pi 48 (πυρί (Β 340): κλίνεται πῦρ πυρός· καὶ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῆς εὐθείας μακρόν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς γενικῆς βραχὺ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν ἑτέρου σημαινομένου· ἔστι γὰρ πυρός καὶ σημαίνει τὸν σῖτον, καὶ ἔστι μακρὸν τὸ υ. τὸ δὲ πῦρ παρὰ τὸ φύω· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστι εὐφυ⸤έστερον πυρός, ἡ⸥νίκ’ ἂ<ν> ἐπιλάβηται ὕλης); Etym. Gudianum, pi, p.488 (Πῦρ, φῦρ τί ἔστιν, ὅτι φυσώμενον ἐξάπτεται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ φύω, φῦρ· τί γὰρ ἐμφυέστερον πυρὸς, φύει λαβόμενον ὕλης); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 697 (Πῦρ: Πυρός. Ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῆς εὐθείας μακρόν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς γενικῆς, βραχύ· πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν ἑτέρου σημαινομένου. Ἔστι γὰρ πυρός· τὸ ΠΥ, μακρόν· καὶ σημαίνει τὸν σῖτον. Τὸ δὲ πῦρ, φῦρ τι ἐστὶν, ὅτι φυσώμενον ἐξάπτεται. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ φύω, τὸ ἀναβλαστάνω, φῦρ. Τί γὰρ πυρὸς εὐφυέστερον, ἡνίκα ἐπιλάβηται ὕλης; Φύει γὰρ, λαβόμενον ὕλης); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem, Papathomopoulos, 104 (πυρί· παρὰ τὸ φύω, φῦρ κατὰ ἀντιστοιχίαν· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ θερμοῦ καὶ πυρώδους πάντα φύονται καὶ ζωογονοῦνται, ὡς τοὐναντίον ἐκ τοῦ ψυχροῦ ἀναιροῦνται καὶ ἀφανίζονται· ἐκ τούτου δείκνυσιν ἀκρατῆ καὶ ὀργίλον τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονα, ἐκ τοῦ εἰπεῖν).
With the intermediate step *φύρω: Epimerismi homerii Il. 1. 52c (Πυραί […] γίνεται παρὰ τὸ πῦρ· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ φύρω ἢ φύω); Etym. Gudianum, pi, p. 488 (Πυρὰ, παρὰ τὸ πῦρ, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ φύρω ἢ φύω); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 697 (Πυραί: Πυρκαϊαί· ἀπὸ τοῦ φύρω)
Comment
Derivational descriptive etymology relying on a formal change, [ph] becoming [p]. Fire is the "growing" element.
A variant of this etymology assumes that from φύω is derived φύρω (the insertion of [r] is a pathos) from which is back-formed πῦρ. This φύρω is not the verb meaning "to mix with water, to soak", but a ghost form invented as an intermediate step. It appears in several sources (see Parallels)