ἐρείπω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
ἑρπετόν
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
herpeton
English translation (word)
beast, reptile
Transliteration (Etymon)
ereipō
English translation (etymon)
throw down, fall down
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Additamenta in Etymologicum Gudianum, epsilon, 529
Ed.
E.L. de Stefani, Etymologicum Gudianum, fasc. 1 & 2, Leipzig, 1909-1920
Quotation
ἑρπετόν· παρὰ τὸ ἐριπεῖν, τὸ καταπεσεῖν· τὸ μὴ ὀρθὸν περιπατοῦν· κυρίως γὰρ λέγεται ἐπὶ τῶν συρογάστρων ζώων
Translation (En)
herpeton ("reptile"): from eripein ("fall down"), meaning to fall on the ground, the fact of not walking upright. This word refers sensu stricto to belly-trailing animals
Parallels
Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 376 (ἑρπετὸν· Ζῷον χερσαῖον· παρὰ τὸ ἐρείπειν, τὸ καταπίπτειν, τὸ μὴ ὀρθὸν περιπατοῦν. Καὶ ψιλοῦσι τινὲς τὸ ὄνομα. Κυρίως γὰρ λέγεται ἐπὶ τῶν συρογάστρων ζῴων)
Modern etymology
The word is derived from ἕρπω "to creep" (PIE *serp-), compare Latin serpens "snake", lit. "creeping". The etymological meaning is "creeping, crawling" animal
Persistence in Modern Greek
The Modern Greek form is "ερπετό" (pl. "ερπετά") and it designates the animals that are cold-blooded, have keratin skin, breathe air and move by creeping. The word is also used metaphorically to denote a sly man (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of MG)
Entry By
Arnaud Zucker
Comment
The derivation does not account for the word's aspiration, and the Etymologicum Magnum states that the word (h)erpeton sometimes had no aspiration. Orion seems to confirm this (Etymologicon, p. 178 : <Ἐρπετόν>· διὰ τὸ ἔρπεσθαι πάνυ), but this variant seems exceptional and the psilosis is undoubtedly opportunistic on the part of grammarians. Suffixation is not commented on