ἀμφί + φέρω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
ἀμφωρεύς
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
amphoreus
English translation (word)
amphora
Transliteration (Etymon)
amphi + pherō
English translation (etymon)
on both sides + to carry
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, alpha p. 31
Ed.
F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820
Quotation
Ἀμφωρεὺς, τὸ δίωτον σταμνὴν τὸ ἀμφοτέρωθεν φερόμενον
Translation (En)
An amphora (amphoreus) is a jar with two handles which is carried (pheromenon) from both sides (amphoterōthen)
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, alpha p. 126 (Ἀμφορεύς· παρὰ τὸ ἑκατέρωθεν φέρεσθαι δύο ὦτα ἔχων); Scholia in Aristophanem (scholia rec.), Comm. in Plutum, Schol. Plut. 807a (ἀμφορεύς λέγεται ἀπὸ τῆς ἀμφί προθέσεως καὶ τοῦ φορῶ, τὸ κομίζω, ἀμφιφορεύς καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν ἀμφορεύς).
For ἀμφιφορεύς, the older form, the etymology was obvious, see Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae 11, 103 ἀμφιφορεὺς λέγεται ὁ ἀμφοτέρωθεν κατὰ τὰ ὦτα δυνάμενος φέρεσθαι.
Modern etymology
Ἀμφορεύς comes from ἀμφιφορεύς, which is the Homeric form, with haplology at the compound boundary. The second element is derived from φέρω "to carry" (Beekes, EDG).
Persistence in Modern Greek
Αμφορέας is the Modern Greek form, used to designate the ancient Greek big vessel, usually made of clay, in which people stored oil, wine, honey etc. (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek).
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
This descriptive etymology is correct. The phonetic manipulation involved is not explicit, but the semantic justification matches the modern etymology.