δάπτω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

δεῖπνον

Transliteration (Word)

deipnon

English translation (word)

meal

Transliteration (Etymon)

daptō

English translation (etymon)

to devour

Author

Epaphroditus

Century

1 AD

Source

Herodian

Ref.

Peri Orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 490

Ed.

A. Lentz, Grammatici Græci. Vol. III/1 et III/2 : Herodiani technici reliquiae. Leipzig, 1867-1870

Quotation

δεῖπνον: διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου (ἐκ τοῦ δεῖ τὸ πρέπει καὶ πόνος τὸ δείπονός τις ὂν καὶ δεῖπνος, μεθ’ ὃν δεῖ πονεῖν. Ἐπαφρόδιτος δὲ παρὰ τὸ δάπτω δάπτον καὶ δάπνον κατὰ τροπὴν καὶ πλεονασμόν)

Translation (En)

Deipnon "dinner": with a diphthong [ei] (it comes from deî "to be necessary" and ponos "labour", being a *deiponos, as it were, and deipnos, after which one has to work; but Epaphroditus says it comes from daptō "to devour", daptos, and *dapnon, through change <of [a] into [e]> and adjunction <of [i]>)

Comment

This etymology derives the word for "meal" from a verb meaning "to eat". Straightforward from the semantic point of view, it implies two formal manipulations, which are mentioned by Herodian although the details are not given. The word is not parsed as a compound, unlike in the competing etymology mentioned first by Herodian (δεῖ + πόνος). Epaphroditus of Chaeronea was the author of an exegesis on Homer among other works

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, delta p. 341 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 262 (Ἐπαφρόδιτος δὲ, παρὰ τὸ δάπτω, δάπτον καὶ δάπνον καὶ δεῖπνον, κατὰ τροπὴν καὶ πλεονασμόν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, delta p. 475 (Ἐπαφρόδιτος δὲ, παρὰ τὸ δάπτω, δάπτον καὶ δεῖπνον)

Modern etymology

Unknown

Persistence in Modern Greek

The word survives in MG as a neutral "δείπνο" designating "an official dinner", originating from the hellenistic meaning of the 'afternoon food' and as masc. δείπνος for the Last Supper of Jesus Christ: "Μυστικός Δείπνος" (Triandaf. Dict. of MG)

Entry By

Le Feuvre