ἁφή

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Sat, 07/10/2021 - 22:48

Word-form

ἁπαλόν

Transliteration (Word)

hapalos

English translation (word)

soft, tender

Transliteration (Etymon)

haphē

English translation (etymon)

touch, sense of touch

Author

Porphyrius

Century

3 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Quaestionum Homericarum ad Iliadem pertinentium reliquiae, 4, 434

Ed.

H. Schrader, Porphyrii quaestionum Homericarum ad Iliadem pertinentium reliquiae, Leipzig: Teubner

Quotation

τὸ ἔλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ διαμένει καὶ ἀνυγραίνει τὸ δεξάμενον μαλακώτερόν τε ποιεῖ πρὸς ἁφὴν τὸ φύσει ἁπαλόν

Translation (En)

The fat remains for the most part and softens the object which receives it, and makes softer to "touch" (pros haphēn) what is by nature "tender" (hapalon)

Comment

It is likely that this is an implicit etymology in Porphyrius. The etymology appears as an explicit one only in Orion (see Parallels). The  meaning of ἁπαλός "soft to touch" led to an association with a verb meaning "to touch" and having the same initial sequence [hap], ἅπτω, and the corresponding action noun ἁφή. The implicit assumption, which is in fact explicit in Orion in the word εὐαφής, is that it is pleasant to touch what is soft. Εὐαφής "of easy touch" (that is, which can be touched easily) came to mean "soft", and from the synonymy of ἁπαλός and εὐαφής, the etymology of the former was deduced from the etymology of the latter, which was obvious. Starting from ἁφή, a formal change is assumed, the deaspiration of [ph] into [p]. Starting from ἅπτω does not require any change, but the verb is in fact given as the etymon only once (Scholia in Batrachomyomachiam)

Parallels

Etymon ἁφή: Orion, Etymologicum, alpha, p. 29 (Ἁπαλός, παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἁφὴν ὁ εὐαφὴς, οἷον ὁ εἴκων τῇ ἁφῇ. κατὰ μετάθεσιν τοῦ φ εἰς π, ἁπαλός); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 150 (Ἁπαλύνω, ἐκ τοῦ ἁπαλός· τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ ἁφὴ, ἁφαλὸς καὶ ἁπαλός); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 966 (Ἁπαλός· παρὰ τὴν ἁφὴν ἁφαλός καὶ ἁπαλός); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 209 (ἐκ τοῦ ἁπαλός· τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ ἁφή ἁφαλόν καὶ ἁπαλόν, οἱονεὶ τὸ εὐαφὲς καὶ τρυφερόν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 159 (idem); ibid., alpha, p. 159 (Ἁπαλός· παρὰ τὸ ἁφή· ὁ τῇ ἁφῇ εἴκων, ἁφαλός τις ὤν, ὡς ἐξαπίνης ἐξαίφνης); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 117 (Ἁπαλός: Παρὰ τὸ ἁφή· ὁ τῇ ἁφῇ εἴκων, ἁφαλός τις ὤν. Ἐκ τοῦ ἁφὴ, ἁφαλὸν, καὶ ἁπαλὸν, οἱονεὶ  τὸ εὐαφὲς καὶ τρυφερόν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 233 (Ἁπαλός. μαλακός. παρὰ τὴν ἁφὴν ἁφαλὸς καὶ ἁπαλός).

Etymon ἅπτω: Scholia in Batrachomyomachiam 10 (τὸ δὲ ἁπαλόν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅπτομαι, ἁπταλόν καὶ ἁπαλόν. ὥσπερ τὸ μαλακόν ἀπὸ τοῦ μαλάσσεσθαι, οὕτω καὶ ἁπαλόν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅπτεσθαι γίνεται)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Απαλός is still used in Modern Greek to designate 1. "soft" and 2. (metaph.) "something slightly sensed". There also is the adverb απαλά 'softly', as well as the phrase "εξ απαλών ονύχων", "from a very young age".

Entry By

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