ἐρέφω
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
Ἔρεβος· παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω τροπῇ τοῦ φ εἰς β· τὸ κατεστεγασμένον ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς.
Translation (En)
Erebos "darkness of the underworld": from erephō "to cover", by change of the /ph/ to /b/. That which is covered by the earth
Parallels
Cornutus, Theologiae Graecae compendium 17 (τὸ δὲ Ἔρεβος ἐκ τοῦ Χάους ἐγένετο, ὁ ποιῶν ἐρέφεσθαι καὶ περιλαμβάνεσθαί τι ὑφ’ ἑτέρου λόγος, καθὸ καὶ τούτου τυχοῦσα ἡ Γῆ παραχρῆμα ὁμοιόσχημον αὐτῇ τὸν Οὐρανὸν ἐγέννησεν); Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 518 (Ἔρεβος· .... παρὰ τὸ εἰς τὴν ἔραν βαίνειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω, τὸ στεγάζω, ἔρεφος καὶ Ἔρεβος, τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐστεγασμένον. καθὼς καὶ τῷ ποιητῇ <Aristoph. Av. 693> δοκεῖ, ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν Ἔρεβος καὶ Χάος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 370 (Ἔρεβος: Τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν σκότος· παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω, τροπῇ τοῦ φ εἰς β· τὸ κατεστεγασμένον ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἔραν, τὴν γῆν, τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν ἔραν βαῖνον); Etym. Symeonis, epsilon 737 (Ἔρεβος· τὸ ὑπὸ γῆν σκότος· παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω τὸ κατεστεγασμένον ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἔραν, τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν ἔραν βαῖνον); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, p. 858 (Ἔρεβος. τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν σκότος, ὁ πρὸ τοῦ ταρτάρου τόπος. παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω. τὸ καταστεγασμένον ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς. ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἔραν βαῖνον); Scholia in Sophoclem, Aj. 395b (recentiora) (ἔρεβος τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν σκότος, παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω τὸ στεγάζω· τὸ κατεστεγασμένον ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς· ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἔραν, τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν ἔραν βαῖνον)
Comment
Derivational etymology, requiring only one formal change in the last consonant. The word etymologically means "darkness" but, since it is mostly used for the underworld, it was easy to etymologize it by its position with respect to the earth.