νέος + ἤπιος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
νήπιος
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
nēpios
English translation (word)
child, childish
Transliteration (Etymon)
neos + ēpios
English translation (etymon)
new + gentle
Century
2-3 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Paedagogus 1.5.19.1
Ed.
H.–I. Marrou, M. Harl, C. Mondésert, C. Matray, Clément d'Alexandrie. Le Pédagogue , vol. 1, 1960
Quotation
νήπιος δὲ ὁ νεήπιος, ὡς ἤπιος ὁ ἁπαλόφρων, οἷον ἤπιος νεωστὶ καὶ πρᾶος τῷ τρόπῳ γενόμενος
Translation (En)
Nēpios (νήπιος) is neēpios (νεήπιος), since he that is tender-hearted is called ēpios (ἤπιος), as being one that has newly (neōsti) become gentle (ēpios) and meek in conduct
Parallels
In the rich etymological tradition on the word, only one Lexicon retains the Clementinian etymology: Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.51 : ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἤπιος ὁ πρᾴος, ἢ νεὸς ἤπιος; see maybe Julianus, Speech of Thanks to the Empress Eusebia, 12.1 (Ed. J. Bidez) : Ἐμοὶ γὰρ βασιλεὺς οὑτοσὶ σχεδὸν ἐκ παιδὸς νηπίου γεγονὼς ἤπιος
Modern etymology
No clear etymology according to Chantraine and Beekes
Persistence in Modern Greek
The word (νήπιο) is still used in Modern Greek, referring to 1. a child between 2 and 5 years old, 2. (in plural "τα νήπια") the first educational grade before elementary school (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek)
Entry By
Zucker
Comment
In the fifth and sixth chapter of the first book of Paedagogus Clemens states that being a child (scil. of God) is virtuous, relying on various quotations from Paulinian epistles (such as 1 Thess. 2.6-7). He discriminates between νηπύτιος (silly) and νήπιος (gentle) : Ἐνταῦθα ἐπιστῆσαι δίκαιον τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τοῦ νηπίου, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ ἀφρόνων τάττεται τὸ νήπιον· νηπύτιος μὲν γὰρ οὗτος. He shows a deep interest in this etymological debate (using 70 times the word νήπιος in the first book of the Paedagogus), and inverts the common depreciating meaning of the word νήπιος that goes back to Homer. He argues in this case against the current grammatical value of νη as privative prefix : Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ ἔστιν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ νηπίου κατὰ στέρησιν ἡμῖν νοούμενον, ἐπεὶ τὸ νη στερητικὸν γραμματικῶν νομοθετοῦσιν παῖδες. If we sum up the alternative etymological interpretations, there are no less than 7 other options: (2) ν + gentle (ἥπιος), nu considered here as redundant or intensive: <Νήπιος>: Ἄφρων, ἀνόητος. Παρὰ τὸ ἥπιος, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ν, ὁ πρᾶος καὶ προσηνὴς, καὶ νήπια ποιῶν (Etymologicum Magnum, nu 604.15 = Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, nu 1397.12 ; cf. Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.49 ; Etymologicum Magnum, nu 604.22 : Ἢ ἥπιον, τὸ πρᾶον καὶ μὴ ἔχον ὀργὴν, μετὰ τοῦ ἐπιτατικοῦ. Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.50 : ἢ πλεονάζει τὸ ν); (3) not (νη) + speak (εἰπεῖν): <Νήπιος>· ἥπιος γὰρ ὁ πρᾶος· ἡ νηέπιος, ὁ λέγειν μὴ δυνάμενος (Orion, Etymologicum, ed. G.H.K. Koës, 1820, p. 180.26; cf. Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.48: παρὰ τὸ στέρησιν ἔχειν τοῦ εἰπεῖν […] ἢ παρὰ τὸ νὴ στερητικὸν, κατὰ στέρησιν τοῦ εἰπεῖν καὶ λαλεῖν· ἢ νηέπιος, ὁ λέγειν μὴ δυνάμενος. οὕτω Φιλόξενος; Etymologicum Magnum, nu 604.17: Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ΝΗ στερητικὸν καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν γίνεται νηέπιος, καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν νήπιος, ὁ μὴ δυνάμενος λέγειν; (4) new (νέον) + fat (πῖον): Ἢ νέον πῖον (Etymologicum Magnum, nu 604.23; i.e. ἢ νέον λιπαρόν (Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.51), as in Etymologicum Magnum, nu 604.21: Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ΝΗ ἐπιτατικὸν καὶ τὸ πῖον, τὸ λιπαρόν); (5) not (νη) + life (βίος): Ἢ νήβιος, ὁ ἐστερημένος τοῦ βίου· καὶ νήπιον, τὸ ἐστερημένον τῶν βιωτικῶν φροντίδων (Etymologicum Magnum, nu 604.19). (6) mind (νοῦν) + kind (ἥπιον) and (7) mind + be deprived (ἄπο εἶναι): νήπιος ὁ νέος, ἀπὸ τοῦ νοῦν ἤπιον ἔχειν· νήπιος ὁ γέρων, ἀπὸ τοῦ νοῦ ἄπο εἶναι, ὡς καὶ ἐνταῦθα (Schol. In Homerum, Od. 1.8, Ed. Ludwich 1888 ; cf. Schol. in Aristophanem, Nubes (Jo. Tzetzes), 105a1, ed. Howerda 4.2 (νοῦν ἥπιον ἔχειν, νοῦ ἄπο πεφυκέναι) ; Schol. In Oppianum, Hal. 3.370 (ed. Dübner, 1849) : Νήπιοι· ἀνόητοι, μωροί· νήπιος ὁ ἀνόητος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄπο εἶναι νοῦ. νήπιον τὸ βέλεφος (βρέφος) ἀπὸ τοῦ νοῦν ἤπιον ἔχειν. Cf. Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.50 ἢ πλεονάζει τὸ ν· ἢ ἤπια νοῶν· (8) new (νεός) + very (πάνυ): ἢ νεὸς πάνυ (Etymologicum Gudianum, nu 408.49)