ἶφι
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Reference
Edition
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Ὅσα ἀπὸ ἐπιρρημάτων παρῆκται διὰ τοῦ ΙΟΣ, προπαροξύνεται· πρωΐ πρώϊος, ὀψέ ὄψιος, νόσφιν νοσφίδιος, ἶφι ἴφιος, ἀεὶ ἀΐδιος, ῥέα ῥηΐδιος.
Translation (En)
All adjectives derived from adverbs with -ios are propaoxytone: prōï "early", prōïos "early", opse "late", opsios "late", nosphin "away" nosphidios "away", iphi "with strength" iphios "fat", aei "always" aidios "ever-lasting", rhea "easily" rhēidios "easy"
Parallels
Herodian, Peri orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 477 (ap. Theognostus, Canones sive De orthographia 312) (Τὰ παρ’ ἐπίῤῥημα διὰ τοῦ ιος προπαροξύτονα διὰ τοῦ ι γράφονται· οἷον, ἶφι ἴφιος· πρωῒ πρώϊος); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 924 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 113 (idem); D Schol. Il. 9.462 (Ἴφια. Ἰσχυρὰ, εὐτραφῆ); D Schol. Il. 5.556 (Ἴφια. Ἤτοι εὐτραφῆ, ἢ, κατ’ εὐφημισμὸν, ἀσθενῆ, ἢ ἰσχυροποιὰ τῶν ἐσθιόντων); Orion, Etymologicum, p. 76 (Ἴφια μῆλα. κατ’ ἀντίφρασιν τὰ ἀνίσχυρα); Geneva Schol. Il. 5.556 (ἴφια μῆλα] ἤτοι εὐτραφῆ, ἢ κατ’ εὐφημισμὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀσθενῆ, ἢ ἰσχυροποιὰ τῶν ἐσθιόντων.); Choeroboscus, De spiritibus (excerpta), p. 206 (Τὸ Ι πρὸ τοῦ Φ ψιλοῦται. ἴφικλος. ἴφιτος. Ἶφι, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἰσχυρῶς, καὶ λίαν. καὶ ἴφια μῆλα); A Schol. Il. 8.505 (<ἴφια:> εὔχρηστα. οἱ δὲ ἰσχυροποιά. ἢ εὐθηνοῦντα καὶ λιπαρά. ); Etym. Gudianum, iota, p. 285 (Ἴφια, μῆλα· τὰ ἀσθενῆ πρόβατα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 480 (Ἴφια μῆλα: Εὐτραφῆ, ἢ ἰσχυροποιὰ τῶν ἐσθιόντων· ἢ κατ’ εὐφημισμὸν, τὰ ἀσθενῆ, καὶ οὐκ ἰσχυρά); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, iota, p. 1134 (Ἴφια μῆλα. ἰσχυρῶς βαδίζοντα. εὐτραφῆ. ἢ κατ’ εὐφημισμόν. ἢ ἰσχυροποιὰ τῶν ἀσθενούντων. μῆλα δὲ τὰ πρόβατα λέγει); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 454 (τὰ δὲ διὰ τοῦ φιος καθαρὰ προπαροξύνονται ἀπὸ ἀπτώτων, μὴ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰς ευω ῥημάτων ὄντα, <οἷον> ἶφι ἴφιος, <ὅθεν καὶ (Ε 556) ἴφια μῆλα,>); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 2, p. 634 (Ἴφια δὲ καὶ νῦν μῆλα τὰ ἰσχυροποιὰ θρέμματα, ἐπεὶ καὶ κρέας τὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν παρὰ τὸ κρατύνειν τὰ σώματα λέγεται. ἢ καὶ ἄλλως, ἴφια τὰ μὴ ἀσθενῆ ὑπὸ νόσου, ἀλλὰ ἀναλόγως ἰσχυρά, ὡς λιπαρά. Ὁ δὲ γράψας Παρῳδὸς ἐπὶ ὀπώρας «ἴφια μῆλα» τὰ εὐτραφῆ ἔπαιξε πάντως); ibid., vol. 2, p. 148 (Ἴφια δὲ μῆλα τὰ μικρὰ νῦν θρέμματα λέγει πάντα ἐκ μέρους ὡς ἰσχυροποιά, εἴγε καὶ κρέας παρὰ τὸ κρατύνειν δοκεῖ παράγεσθαι); ibid., vol. 2, p. 763 (Λέγει δὲ ἴφια μὲν καὶ νῦν μῆλα τὰ ἰσχυροποιὰ θρέμματα. Ἰφθιμοποιεῖ γὰρ τὸ αὐτῶν κρέας καί, ὡς ἡ ἐτυμολογία φησί, κρατύνει καὶ ἰσχυροποιεῖ. Ἢ καὶ ἄλλως, ἴφια τὰ λιπαρά. τὰ γὰρ πάντῃ ἀλιπῆ ἀνίσχυρα); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 402 (Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι ἴφια μὲν μῆλα ὡς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ἐῤῥέθη τὰ ἰσχυροποιὰ, ἢ καὶ ἄλλως, τὰ εὐτραφῆ)
Comment
Correct derivational etymology. The problem with this derivation does not lie in the formal aspect, since it is regular, but in the semantic aspect, since ἴφιος, epithet of sheep in Homer (ἴφια μῆλα) can hardly be associated with the notion of strength. Therefore, Greek etymologists tried several explanations. 1. the sheep are ἴφια "by antiphrasis": the adjective properly means "strong", and its use for sheep, which are strengthless animals, is an example of enantiosemy or etymology a contrario. 2. The sheep are ἴφια "by metaphor", that is, they are strong because they are well fed and healthy, which leads to the meaning "fat". This is how modern etymology explains it. 3. The sheep are ἴφια because they "make strong", that is, their meat procures strength to those who eat it, and the adjective is understood to have a causative meaning. Herodian simply cares about derivation and does not venture into semantic justifications