βάρος

Validation

No

Last modification

Tue, 09/19/2023 - 12:52

Word-form

βόρβορος

Transliteration (Word)

borboros

English translation (word)

filth

Transliteration (Etymon)

baros

English translation (etymon)

weight

Author

Etym. Genuinum

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, beta 186

Ed.

F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras, Etymologicum magnum genuinum. Symeonis etymologicum una cum magna grammatica. Etymologicum magnum auctum, vol. 2, Athens: Parnassos Literary Society, 1992

Quotation

Βόρβορος· παρὰ τὸ βάρος βάρβαρος καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο βόρβορος· βόρβορος γὰρ λέγεται τὸ περίττωμα τῆς γαστρός· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ κείμενον βάρος ἐμποιεῖ, ἢ παρὰ τὸ βορά, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν τροφήν, βόρος καὶ βόρβορος, ἡ ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς γεννηθεῖσα ὕλη

Translation (En)

Borboros "filth": from baros "weight", barbaros and by change of /a/ into /o/, borboros. Borboros is what the stomach has in excess: this, sitting in the human body, creates weight. Or from bora, which means "food", *boros and borboros, the material created out of food

Comment

Derivational etymology. The word is correctly analyzed as reduplicated, therefore the etymon was sought in the second syllable. The assumed etymon is βάρος "weight", which implies a change of the vowel /a/ to /o/. This relies on the observation that in man, a biped, the excrements accumulate downwards: the question of the applicability to quadrupeds with a "horizontal" digestive tract was not asked, or was explained in terms of a proper meaning (for man) and an extended meaning (for animals)

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 278 (Βόρβορος· παρὰ τὸ βάρος, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο βόρος, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν βόρβορος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 205 (Βόρβορος: Παρὰ τὸ βάρος, βάρβαρος· καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο, βόρβορος. Βόρβορος γὰρ λέγεται  τὸ περίττωμα τῆς γαστρός· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἄνω κείμενον βάρος ἐμποιεῖ. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ βορὰ, βορὸς, ἡ ἐκ τῆς βορᾶς κόπρος· διπλασιασμῷ καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ρ, βόρβορος, ἡ ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς γεννηθεῖσα ὕλη); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 466 Lasserre-Livadaras (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, beta, p. 396 (Βόρβορος. [παρὰ τὸ βάρος βάρβαρος, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο βόρβορος,] ὃ ἔστι τὸ περίττωμα τῆς γαστρός. [τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν τῷ ἄνω κείμενον βάρος ἐμποιεῖ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ βορὰ βορὸς καὶ βόρβορος,] ἡ ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς ὕλη)

Modern etymology

Probably cognate with Arm. kork "dirt", therefore *gwor-, despite Beekes' doubts (EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes, as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre