ἕρπω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
ἑρπετόν
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
herpeton
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)
Parallels
Choeroboscus, De spiritibus, p. 197 (ἔρπω, ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ ἑρπετόν. καὶ ἑρπύζω); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 187 (ἑρπετα· παρὰ τὸ ἕρπω ἑρπήσω, ἑρπητὸν καὶ ἑρπετόν); Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 528 (idem); ibid., p. 529 (Ὠρίωνος. Ἑρπετόν· διὰ τὸ ἕρπειν, ἤγουν σύρεσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ σύρεσθαι πάνυ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 376 (παρὰ τὸ ἕρπω ἑρπετὸν, ὡς κόπτω, κοπετός […] Ἑρπῶ, ἑρπήσω, ἑρπητὸν, καὶ ἑρπετόν).
This etymological link is implicit in numerous especially Christian texts
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. This is an elementary etymology by derivation of a noun from a verb. The relationship between these two words is always expressed in this sense (deverbative). All etymologies of the word ἑρπετόν, even when they propose alternative etymologies mention this option. Etym. Magnum corroborates that Orion mentions this etymology, but it surely stems from much older texts. The link appears already in Simmias (4-3 BC) fr. 23 (Powell). The LXX (Gen. 1.26.5) uses the expression πάντων τῶν ἑρπετῶν τῶν ἑρπόντων, an expression quoted and commented on by the entire Christian tradition, aware of the etymological relationship between noun and verb.