σός + ἁφή
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
σαφής
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
saphēs
English translation (word)
visible, clear, manifest
Transliteration (Etymon)
sos + haphē
English translation (etymon)
your + touch, grip
Source
Idem
Ref.
Schol. vet. in Or.730
Ed.
Schwartz, Scholia in Euripidem, 1887 (repr. 1966)
Quotation
Τὸ σαφῶς καὶ τὸ ἐναργῶς διαφέρουσι κἂν δοκῶσιν εἶναι ταὐτά. ἐναργὲς γὰρ λέγεται ὃ ὀφθαλμοὶ ὁρῶσι σαφὲς δὲ ὅπερ χεῖρ ἐπαφᾶται. [...] ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ τὸ σαφές παρὰ τὸ κρατεῖσθαι τῇ σῇ ἁφῇ, τὸ δὲ ἐναργές παρὰ τὴν ἐν πρόθεσιν καὶ τὸν ἄρα συλλογιστικὸν σύνδεσμον καὶ τὸ γίνεσθαι
Translation (En)
Saphōs "clearly" and enargōs "manifestly" differ even if they seem the same. We call enarges "manifest" what the eyes see, and saphes, "clear" what the hand touches. [...] Saphes, "clear" comes from krateisthai tēi sēi haphēi "to take hold of by your touch", and enarges, "manifest" from the preposition en "in", the coordinating conjunction ara "then" and from gignesthai "become".
Modern etymology
From the adverb σάφα, "surely", unknown etymology
Persistence in Modern Greek
Σαφής is still used in Modern Greek to designate: 1. 'clear, perfectly understandable', 2. 'perceivable'. There also is the adverb σαφώς, σαφέστερα, σαφέστατα.
Entry By
Margelidon
Comment
In contrast to the etymology of enarges, based on the sense of sight, the explanation of the adjective saphes appeals to the sense of touch. The scholiast sees in saphes a compound of sos, "your" and haphē, "touch", as visible in the expression krateisthai tēi sēi haphēi. This explanation is fanciful, but is due to the scholiast's desire to distinguish semantically between both adjectives.