ἀφανής

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Last modification

Mon, 05/27/2024 - 12:44

Word-form

ἄφνω

Transliteration (Word)

aphnō

English translation (word)

suddenly

Transliteration (Etymon)

aphanēs

English translation (etymon)

invisible

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus

Century

2 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

De adverbiis, Gr. Gr. II/1, 1, p. 169

Ed.

R. Schneider, Grammatici Graeci, vol. 2.1, Leipzig: Teubner, 1878 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1965)

Quotation

ἄφνω […] ἔστι μὲν γὰρ αὖ τούτου προκείμενον ὄνομα ἀφανής, καὶ ἔτι τὸ ἀφανῶς, ἡ δὲ συγκοπὴ ἄφνω, πάλιν καὶ τοῦ τόνου εὐλόγως ἀναβιβασθέντος

Translation (En)

Aphnō "suddenly" […] there is for this form an underlying noun, aphanēs "invisible", and again aphanōs "invisibly", and with syncope aphnō "suddenly", with the accent being again correctly retracted

Comment

Derivational etymology relying on a syncope in the adverb ἀφανῶς. The final /s/ is assumed to be simply dropped. The etymology derives a time adverb "suddenly" from an adverb referring to sight "invisibly". The semantic aspect is not commented upon. This etymology was standard at the time and can be assumed, as an implicit etymology, in other texts.

Parallels

Herodian, Περὶ Παθῶν, Lentz III/2, p. 238-239 (ap. Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 244) (Ἄφνω· σημαίνει τὸ ἀπροσδοκήτως· γέγονε παρὰ τὸ ἀφανής ἀφανῶς, ὡς εὐσεβής εὐσεβῶς, εὐ⟦γενής⟧ εὐγενῶς· γίνεται οὖν ἀφανῶς περισπωμένως, εἶτα μετὰ συγκοπῆς καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ς καὶ ἀναδρομῇ τοῦ τόνου διὰ τὸν χαρακτῆρα ⟦ἄφνω⟧. οὕτως Ἡρωδιανὸς Περὶ ⟦παθῶν <II 238, 16 Lentz>. ἔστι δὲ ἐπίρρημα⟧ χρόνου δηλωτικόν); Orion, Etymologicum, alpha, p. 25 (from Herodianischer) (Ἄφνω, τὸ ἐξαφανοῦς· ἀφανής· ἀφανῶς ἐπίῤῥημα. συγκοπῇ, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ σ, ἄφνω); ibid. (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), alpha, p. 611 (ἄφνω παρὰ τὸ ἀφανὲς ἀφανῶς); Choeroboscus, De spiritibus (excerpta), p. 192 (Τὸ Α πρὸ τοῦ Φ ψιλοῦται. οἷον ἄφνω. ἀφανής); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1477 (Ἄφνω· τὸ ἐξαίφνης· παρὰ τὸ ἀφανής ὄνομα γίνεται ἐπίρρημα ἀφανῶς καὶ συγκοπῇ καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ σ ἄφνω); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 244 (Ἄφνω· τὸ ἐξ ἀφανοῦς· ἀφανής ἀφανῶς ἐπίρρημα, συγκοπῇ καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ς ἄφνω. βαρύνεται δὲ ὡς τὸ πόρρω ἔξω); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 244 (Ἐπιμερισμῶν τοῦ Ψαλτηρίου Ἐξάπινα <Ps. 72, 19>· ἐκ τοῦ ἄφν⟦ω ἄφινα καὶ ἄπινα⟧· τὸ δὲ ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ ⟦ἀφανής, ἀφανῶς καὶ⟧ κατὰ ⟦συ⟧γκοπὴν ἄφνω καὶ ἐξ⟦αίφνης⟧ ἐξ ⟦αὐ⟧τ⟦οῦ καὶ διὰ τῆς αι διφθόγγου⟧); ibid., p. 244 ( Ἄφνω· παρὰ τὸ ἀφανές ἀφανῶς ἔδει ἀφνῶ περισπωμένως. ἐξέστη τὸ ς καὶ μετέστη ὁ τόνος, ἐπειδὴ τὰ εἰς ω λήγοντα δισύλλαβα ἐπιρρήματα μὴ ὄντα Δώρια βαρύνεται, ⟦οἷον πόρρω κάτω ἔξω⟧); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 178 (Ἄφνω: Παρὰ τὸ ἀφανὴς ὄνομα γίνεται ἐπίρρημα ἀφανῶς· καὶ συγκοπῇ καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ σ, ἄφνω, τὸ ἐξαίφνης); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 360 (Ἄφνω. παρὰ τὸ ἀφανὴς ὄνομα γίνεται ἐπίῤῥημα ἀφανῶς, καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν καὶ ἀποβολὴν ἄφνω).

Implicit etymology likely in: Dion. Hal., Antiquitates romanae 3.72.3 (εἴτε ὅ τι δή ποτε ἄλλο παθὼν ἀφανὴς ἄφνω γίνεται); possible in Philoponus, In Aristotelis analytica posteriora commentaria, vol. 13, 3, p. 368 (καὶ ὅτι ἔστιν ἔκλειψις γινώσκομεν, ὅτι ἀφανὴς ἄφνω γίνεται ἡ σελήνη πανσέληνος οὖσα); Eustratius, In Aristotelis analyticum posteriorum librum secundum commentarium, p. 109 (περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐκλείψεως τῆς σελήνης ὅτι πανσέληνος οὖσα καὶ ὑπὸ νέφους μὴ ἐπισκοτουμένη ἄφνω ἀφανὴς γίνεται); Joannes Eleemosynarius, Vita Tychonis, ms p. 31 (ἔπειθε γὰρ αὐτὴν τοῦτο λογίσασθαι ἡ τοῦ ποδὸς ἀπαρεμπόδιστος κίνησις καὶ τὸ θυρῶν εἴσω κεκλεισμένων ἄφνω φανῆναι καὶ πάλιν ἀφανῆ γενέσθαι τὸν τοῦτο τελέσαντα)

Modern etymology

Belongs with ἄφαρ "immediately", which suggests an old -r/n- neuter. No clear cognates outside Greek (Beekes, EDG, thinks it is Pre-Greek)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre