ἀμφίς + βαίνω

Validation

No

Word-form

ἀμφισβητεῖν

Transliteration (Word)

amphisbēteō

English translation (word)

to disagree, to dispute

Transliteration (Etymon)

amphis + bainō

English translation (etymon)

apart + to go

Author

Aelius Dionysius

Century

2 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Attika onomata, alpha 110

Ed.

H. Erbse, Untersuchungen zu den attizistischen Lexika [Abhandlungen der deutschen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Philosoph.-hist. Kl.. Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1950]

Quotation

ἀμφισβητεῖν· μὴ συμφωνεῖν, ἀλλ’ οἷον χωρὶς βαίνειν 

Translation (En)

Amphisbēteîn "to dispute": to disagree, as though it were to go (bainein) apart (khōris)

Comment

Elliptic etymology, standing for the complete etymology οἷον ἀμφὶς βαίνειν, in which the old and obsolete ἀμφίς "apart", the etymon, is replaced through a clearer synonym χωρίς. The relationship with the group of "to go" is accepted by modern linguists. No formal manipulation is required. Dispute is defined though a divergence, a separation, as people go in different directions.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, alpha, p. 5 (Ἀμφισβητεῖν, ἀπὸ τοῦ χωρὶς βαίνειν, ὃ ἐστὶ μὴ συμφωνεῖν, μήτε συμβαίνειν); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), alpha, p. 611 (ἀμφισβητεῖν φιλονεικεῖν· παρὰ τὸ χωρὶς βαίνειν· ὅ ἐστι συμφων<εῖ>ν); Anonymus lexicographus, Συναγωγὴ λέξεων χρησίμων, alpha 434 (ἀμφισβητεῖν· μὴ συμφωνεῖν, ἀλλ’ οἷον χωρὶς βαίνειν καὶ ἀμφιβάλλειν); Photius, Lexicon, alpha 1366 (idem); Lexica Segueriana, alpha, p. 81 (idem); Suda, alpha 1763 (idem); Choeroboscus, Prolegomena et scholia in Theodosii Alexandrini Canones isagogicos de flexione verborum p. 56 (ἀμφισβητῶ ἠμφισβήτουν· τοῦτο δὲ δύναται καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἀμφίς ἐπίρρημα εἶναι, ἀμφισβητεῖν γάρ ἐστι τὸ χωρὶς βαίνειν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 125 (Ἀμφισβητῶ· παρὰ τὸ ἀμφὶς βαίνειν, τουτέστι κεχωρισμένως, ὅπερ συμβαίνει τοῖς ἀμφισβητοῦσιν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 125 (Ἀμφισβητεῖν· παρὰ τὸ χωρὶς βαίνειν, ὅ ἐστι μήτε συμφωνεῖν μήτε συμβαίνειν)

Modern etymology

Denominative of a *ἀμφισβήτης, with ἀμφί(ς) and an action noun of βαίνω. The literal meaning would be "going on both sides"

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has αμφισβητώ designating 1. 'to have doubts' and 2. 'to not accept'. There also are the derivatives αμφισβήτηση, αμφισβητίας, αμφισβητήσιμος.

Entry By

Le Feuvre