βλάπτω + ῥόος
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
βλαβερόν
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
blaberos
English translation (word)
harmful
Transliteration (Etymon)
blaptō + rhoos
English translation (etymon)
to damage + flow
Century
4 BC
Source
Idem
Ref.
Cratylus 417e1
Ed.
Burnet, Platonis Opera, Oxford UP, 1903
Translation (En)
Parallels
This etymology is not repeated afterwards except in Planude's commentary to the Cratylus (Compendia Platonis dialogis, Crat. 41, 12).
Modern etymology
Βλαβερός is a -ro- derivative from βλάπτω (q.v.).
Persistence in Modern Greek
Βλαβερός is still used in Modern Greek with the sense of 'someone/something who/that brings damage'. There also is the adverb βλαβερά (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek).
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The word is analyzed as a compound of βλάπτω, which is etymologically correct, and ῥόος "flow", which characterizes the permanent motion of the sensible word. Anything that impedes this permanent flow is negative and harmful. The suffix -ro- is similarly referred to ῥόος "flow" in the etymology of αἰσχρός "shameful" (q.v.) explained as "which always retains the flow".