κύω

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Last modification

Wed, 12/31/2025 - 10:45

Word-form

κῦμα

Transliteration (Word)

kuma

English translation (word)

wave, flood

Transliteration (Etymon)

kuō

English translation (etymon)

to conceive, to be pregnant

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, kappa, p. 88

Ed.

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

Quotation

Κῦμα. κύω, κυήσω, κύημα, καὶ συγκοπῇ κῦμα. οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ κυκῶ, κυκήσω, κύκημα καὶ κῦμα.

Translation (En)

Kuma "wave". Kuō "to conceive", <future> kuēsō, <derivative> kuēma and by syncope kuma. For others, from kukō "to stir", <future> kukēsō, <derivative> *kukēma, and kuma

Comment

Derivational etymology, correct by modern standards. The "wave" refers to the swelling of water, and the original meaning of κυέω is "to swell"

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), kappa, p. 614 (κύμα, κύω κυήσω· κύημα καὶ συγκοπῆ κύμα); Photius, Lexicon, kappa 1195 (κῦμα· τὸ κυούμενον); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.483b (κῦμα: παρὰ τὸ κύω ῥῆμα πρώτης συζυγίας τῶν περισπωμένων, ὁ μέλλων κυήσω, ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα κύημα καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν κῦμα· ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ κυ μακρόν. οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ κυκῶ, κυκήσω, κύκημα καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν κῦμα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τὸ κυ μακρόν. καὶ προπερισπᾶται); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, kappa 133 (κῦμα: […] ἢ ἀπὸ πάθους ποιητικὸν παρὰ τὸ κύω· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κυῶ κύημα καὶ ἐν συγκοπῇ κῦμα· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κυκῶ ‘κυκώμενον ἵστατο κῦμα’ (Φ 240), ὡς μονώνυχες μώνυχες); Etym. Gudianum, kappa p. 353 (Κῦμα, ἀπὸ τοῦ κύημα, ὥσπερ καὶ οἶμα λέγεται, ἀντὶ τοῦ οἴδημα· ἢ κῦμα τὸ κυρτούμενον ἅμα· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κυκῶ τὸ ταράσσω κύκημα καὶ ἐν συναιρέσει κῦμα· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κύω τὸ ὀγκοῦμαι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 545 (Κῦμα: Κυῶ, κυήσω, κύημα, καὶ κῦμα· παρὰ τὸ κύω, τὸ κυόμενον· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κυκῶ συζυγίας δευτέρας τῶν περισπωμένων· καὶ ἡ χρῆσις, Δεινὸν δ’ ἀμφ’ Ἀχιλῆα κυκώμενον ἵστατο κῦμα’)

Modern etymology

Verbal noun of κυέω, from PIE *keuh1- "to swell". Ved. śváyati "to become strong", to increase" is an exact match for κυέω < *kuh1-eie- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has κύμα "wave"

Entry By

Le Feuvre