βάλλω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
βλάπτω
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
blaptō
English translation (word)
to damage
Transliteration (Etymon)
ballō
English translation (etymon)
to throw
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 271
Ed.
E.L. de Stefani, Etymologicum Gudianum, fasc. 1 & 2, Leipzig: Teubner, 1:1909; 2:1920
Quotation
Βλάβη· παρὰ τὸ βλάπτω· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ βάλλω βάλπτω καὶ ἐν ὑπερβιβασμῷ βλάπτω καὶ βλάβη
Translation (En)
"Blabē "damage" comes from blaptō "to damage, to hurt"; the latter comes from ballō "to throw", ‹hence› *balptō and with anticipation of the consonant blaptō, and blabē"
Parallels
No parallel
Modern etymology
Βλάπτω, Cretan ἀβλοπές· ἀβλαβές (Hsch.) must be cognate with Sanscrite marká- "damage", mṛc- "id.", Avestan mǝrǝṇcaite "he destroys". Indo-European root *ml(e)kw- (Beekes, EDG).
Persistence in Modern Greek
Βλάπτω is still used in Modern Greek with the meanings 'to harm / to have negative affects'. (Τriandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek).
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The etymology relies on a remote phonetic similarity, and from the semantic point of view on the notional proximity between "to throw" (a weapon) and "to hurt", the latter being the consequence of the former. As in reality throwing results in hurting, so in language βάλλω "results" in βλάπτω though a phonetic manipulation, etymology mirroring the "natural" relationship between the two processes. The two verbs are associated in Il. 7.270-271, for instance.