λαός + φύρω

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No

Last modification

Sat, 12/30/2023 - 22:40

Word-form

λάφυρα

Transliteration (Word)

laphura

English translation (word)

spoils

Transliteration (Etymon)

laos + phurō

English translation (etymon)

army + to stain

Author

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Century

12 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Comm. Il., vol. 2, p. 245

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, vols. 1-4, Leiden: Brill, 1:1971; 2:1976; 3:1979; 4:1987

Quotation

λαπάρα δὲ παρὰ τὸ λάπτειν, ὃ ταὐτόν ἐστι τῷ ἐκκενοῦν, ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ λάφυρα τὰ ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων σκηνῶν καὶ πόλεων ἐκκενούμενα. ταῦτα δέ τινες καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τῷ λαῷ φύρεσθαι συντιθέασιν

Comment

Compositional etymology, which Eustathius does not endorse. Its meaning seems to be that the spoils are stained with blood at the hands of the soldiers.

Parallels

Scholia in Aeschylum (vetera), Sept. 278c (λάφυρα λέγει τὰ ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων σκηνῶν καὶ πόλεων ἐκκενούμενα παρὰ τὸ λάπτειν τὸ ἐκκενοῦν· τινὲς δὲ αὐτὰ παρὰ τὸ λαῷ φύρεσθαι συντιθέασιν)

Modern etymology

Unclear (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has λάφυρο "spoils" as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre