ἕρπω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
ἑρπετόν
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
her peton
English translation (word)
beast, reptile
Transliteration (Etymon)
herpō
English translation (etymon)
to move slowly, to creep
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 61
Ed.
F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820
Quotation
Ἑρπετόν. παρὰ τὸ ἕρπω ῥῆμα, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐμπίπτειν τῇ ἔρᾳ
Translation (En)
Herpeton "reptile": from the verb herpō (“to creep”), or from "falling” (empiptein) on the “ground” (era)
Modern etymology
The word is derived from ἕρπω "to creep" (PIE *serp-), compare Latin serpens "snake", lit. "creeping". The etymological meaning is "creeping, crawling" animal
Persistence in Modern Greek
The Modern Greek form is "ερπετό" (pl. "ερπετά") and it designates the animals that are cold-blooded, have keratin skin, breathe air and move by creeping. The word is also used metaphorically to denote a sly man (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of MG)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
This is the correct etymology, the word is derived from ἕρπω.