νέος + φαίνω
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
νύμφαι γάρ εἰσιν αἱ τῶν ποτίμων ὑδάτων πηγαί. ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀεὶ νέαι φαίνεσθαι ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ φαίνειν οὕτως ὠνομασμέναι. τὰς δὲ γαμουμένας νύμφας καλοῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν πρώτως φαίνεσθαι κρυπτομένας τέως
Translation (En)
The nymphs (numphai) are the sources of the sweet waters. They are thus named from the fact that they appear (phainesthai) ever young (neai), or that they bring to light <the water>, But the brides are called numphai because they unveil (phainesthai) now (nun) for the first time, while they were hidden before that
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum, nu, p. 107 (Νύμφη. ἡ νέον φαινομένη. ὡς παρὰ τὸ νέος νύος, οὕτω παρὰ τὸ νέη νύμφη. καὶ ἔγκειται τὸ φῶ, ὅπερ τὸ φαίνω σημαίνει); ibid. (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), p. 615 (νύμφη, ἡ νέον φαινομένη); Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 484 (Χοιροβοσκοῦ. Ἐξ ἀνυμφεύτου <Jo. Damasc. Canon. iamb. 1, 27>· ἔστι νύμφη, ἐκ τούτου παράγωγον νυμφεύω καὶ ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα νυμφευτός. τὸ δὲ νύμφη ἀπὸ τοῦ νέαν φαίνεσθαι); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, nu 42 (νύμφη: ὄνομα προσηγορικόν. ἡ νέα φαινομένη· ὡς παρὰ τὸ νέος νύος, οὕτως παρὰ τὸ νέος καὶ τὸ φῶ, τὸ φαίνω, νύμφη); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 9 (αἱ τῶν καρπῶν προθέσεις ἐν καιρῷ γίνονται, κατὰ τὸ νέον φαινομέναι, ἤτοι κατὰ τὸ ἔαρ. ὅθεν καὶ ἡ νύμφη συντέθειται. οἱονεὶ νεόμφη καὶ Αἰολικῶς νύμφη); ibid., vol. 1, p. 242 (Κοῦραι δὲ κατὰ τὸν ποιητὴν αἱ ῥηθεῖσαι νύμφαι, διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ νεάζειν κατὰ φύσιν καὶ μὴ γηρᾶν. διὸ καὶ νύμφαι αἱ αὐταὶ καλοῦνται, διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ νέον. ἢ κατὰ τὸ νῦν φαίνεσθαι ὡς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ἐδηλώθη); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 608 (Νύμφη: Ὥσπερ παρὰ τὸ νέος γίνεται νεὸς, καὶ τροπῇ Αἰολικῇ νυὸς, (ὡς τὸ, ‘Νυὸν ἀνδρῶν αἰχμητάων’, ἀντὶ τοῦ νύμφην) οὕτως καὶ παρὰ τὸ νέος καὶ τὸ φῶ, τὸ φαίνω, γίνεται νεόμφη καὶ νεύμφη· καὶ συγκοπῇ καὶ τροπῇ, νύμφη, ἡ νέον φαινομένη); Joannes Tzetzes, Allegoriae in Homeri Odysseam 8.97 (Νύμφαι τοῦ Αἰγιόχου, αἱ νεωστὶ φαινόμεναι); ibid. 5.19-24 (Νύμφην φησὶ τὴν Καλυψὼ τοιουτοτρόπῳ τρόπῳ· τὰ νεωστὶ φαινόμενα πάντα καλοῦνται νύμφαι, δένδρα καὶ ζῷα νεαρά, συγγράμματα τὰ νέα. ὅθε Δρυάδες λέγονται Νύμφαι ἐπιμηλίδες, καὶ Νύμφαι Μοῦσαι καὶ λοιπὰ καὶ νύμφαι δὲ γυναῖκες παρὰ τὸ νέον φαίνεσθαι, πρότερον κεκρυμμέναι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, nu, p. 1408 (Νύμφη. ὡς παρὰ τὸ νέος γίνεται νυὸς, οὕτως καὶ παρὰ τὸ νέα καὶ φῶ γίνεται νεόφη καὶ νύμφη, ἡ νέα φαινομένη καὶ συγκοπῇ καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ μ εἰς ν νύμφη); Anonymi exegesis in Hesiodi Theogoniam, p. 381 Flach (ἐγέννησε δὲ καὶ τὰς Νύμφας τὰς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀναφυομένας βοτάνας. ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ παρὰ τὸ νέας φαίνεσθαι); ibid., p. 391 (ἐγέννησε δὲ ταύτην ἡ ὑγρότης ἐν σπηλαίῳ γλαφυρῷ, ἤγουν τῷ κοιλώματι τῆς γῆς, ἥμισυ μὲν οὖσαν νύμφην, ἤτοι θρεπτικὴν καὶ νέους φαίνεσθαι ποιοῦσαν ἡμᾶς [meaning "to appear young" in the causative, applied to men])
Comment
Compositional etymology. Cornutus distinguishes two different etymologies for the two meanings of the word, "nymph" and "bride" (complementary etymology). For the meaning "nymph" he suggests two related etymologies, which differ on the criterion of the voice of the verb. In the first etymology, the nymphs appear as young women (descriptive etymology)–this etymology relies on the middle φαίνομαι. In the second one, they make the water appear–this etymology relies on the active φαίνω (and the first member of the compound is presumably the adverb νῦν, but it is dropped in Cornutus' formulation)