ἥβη
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Ἠβαιόν. παρὰ τὴν ἥβην. ἐπεὶ αὕτη ὀλίγη καὶ ταχέως αὔξεται καὶ ἐλαττοῦται, καὶ παρωνύμῳ χαρακτῆρι ἥβη ἡβαιός. ὀξύνεται δὲ, ὡς γῆρας γηραιός. οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ ὀλίγον βῆναι. ἐὰν μὲν παρὰ τὸ βῶ, βαιὸς καὶ ἠβαιὸς, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ η. παρὰ τὴν ἥβην, ἡβαιὸς καὶ βαιὸς, ἀποβολῇ
Translation (En)
ēbaion "little". Form hēbē "youth", since it is short, it quickly grows and fades away, and by derivation hēbē ēbaios. It is oxytone as gēras "old age", gēraios "old". But others say it comes from *bô "to go". If it comes from *bô, baios "little" and ēbaios, by addition of /ē/. If it comes from hēbē "youth", *hēbaios and baios by dropping <the /ē/>
Parallels
Etym. Genuinum, beta 11 (Βαιόν· ὃ λέγεται καὶ ἠβαιόν· τὸ μικρὸν ἢ ὀλίγον. εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ βαίνω, βαιόν, οὗ ἐστι ἐπ’ ὀλίγον βῆναι. ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἥβην ἡβαιός, ἥτις ταχέως ἄρχεται καὶ ταχέως λήγει); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 192 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, eta, p. 234 (Ἠβαιὸς, ὁ μικρὸς, ἠβαιὸν ὄνομα οὐδέτερον, τὸ ἀρσενικὸν ἠβαιὸς, τὸ η ἦθα διάτι; ἐκ τοῦ ἥβη ἡ ἀκμὴ, ἠβαὸς, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι ἠβαιὸς, ὁ ἐπ’ ὀλίγον χρόνον ἀκμάζων, καὶ μαραινόμενος πάλιν. καὶ εἰ ἐκ τοῦ ἥβη γίνεται, ὤφειλε λοιπὸν δασύνεσθαι. οὐκ ἔστι δὲ οὕτως. ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ βῆναι γίνεται βαὸς καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι βαιὸς, ὁ ἐπ’ ὀλίγον χρόνον βεβηκὼς, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ η ἠβαιὸς, ὡς μύει ἠμύει, βαιὸν ἠβαιόν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 417 (Ἠβαιόν: Ὀλίγον καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιον· παρὰ τὴν ἥβην, ἐπεὶ αὕτη ὀλίγη καὶ ταχέως αὔξεται καὶ ἐλαττοῦται· ἀφ’ οὗ παρώνυμον ἠβαιός. Τὸ η, ἦτα. Ἐκ τοῦ ἥβη, ἡ ἀκμὴ, ἠβαὸς καὶ ἠβαιὸς, ὁ ἐπ’ ὀλίγον χρόνον ἀκμάζων καὶ μαραινόμενος πάλιν. Καὶ εἰ ἐκ τοῦ ἥβη γίνεται, ὤφειλε δασύνεσθαι. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ οὕτως· ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ τοῦ βῆναι γίνεται βαὸς, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι, βαιὸς, ὁ ἐπ’ ὀλίγον χρόνον βεβηκώς· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ η, ἠβαιός. Ὡς τὸ μύει, ἠμύει· βαιὸν, ἠβαιόν); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 384 (Βαιόν· ὃ λέγεται καὶ ἠβαιόν· ἔστι δὲ τριγενὲς ὁ βαιός ἡ βαιά τὸ βαιόν· παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ βαίνω, <βαιόν,> οὗ ἐστιν ἐπ’ ὀλίγον βῆναι. ἢ παρὰ † τὸ ἥβην, ἡβαιός—385, 5 λήγει, ἀφ’ οὗ παρώνυμον ἠβαιός, ὀξύνεται δὲ ὡς τὸ γηραιός δηναιός, ἵνα μὴ βαρυνόμενον σχῇ κτητικὸν τύπον, ὥσπερ Ῥώμη Ῥωμαῖος. οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ βῶ, τὸ κατ’ ὀλίγον οὕτως βαῖνον. ἐὰν μὲν οὖν παρὰ τὸ βῶ, βαιός καὶ <ἠβαιός> πλεονασμῷ τοῦ η, <ὡς μύω ἠμύω, τὸ ἐπικλίνω·> ἐὰν δὲ παρὰ τὴν ἥβην, ἡβαιός, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ βαιός κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ η); ibid., vol. 1, p. 386 (idem)
Comment
Derivational etymology, formally rather simple, because it matches the familiar type δίκη, δίκαιος, ἀνάγκη, ἀναγκαῖος. The semantic justification is that youth does not last, therefore "youthful" is assumed to take on the meaning "short-lived", hence "short", and eventually "small, little". Thus the temporal notion of the etymon is lost. This etymology was rejected by other scholars who argue that, if ἠβαιός were derived from ἥβη, it should have a rough breathing, which is not the case (Etym. Gudianum).