ἔρα + βαίνω

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Sun, 12/15/2024 - 22:45

Word-form

ἔρεβος

Transliteration (Word)

erebos

English translation (word)

dark of the underworld

Transliteration (Etymon)

era + bainō

English translation (etymon)

earth + to go

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, p. 62

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

Ἔρεβος. παρὰ τὸ ἐρέφω, τροπῇ τοῦ φ εἰς β, τὸ κατεστεγασμένον ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς. παρὰ τὸ ἔραν τὴν γῆν. τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν ἔ<ρ>αν βαῖνον.

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. From era "earth", that which goes (bainon) below the earth (hupo tēn eran)

Comment

Compositional etymology. The second member is reduced to its initial consonant. As in the competing etymology by "to cover" (see ἔρεβος / ἐρέφω), the word is etymologized by reference to the underworld, located below the earth

Parallels

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)

Modern etymology

PIE *h1regw-os- "darkness", cognate with Ved. rájas- "dust", Arm. erek, -oy "evening", Goth. riqiz "dark" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has έρεβος as a learned word "deep darkness"

Entry By

Le Feuvre