κάρφω

Validation

No

Word-form

καρπός

Transliteration (Word)

karpos

English translation (word)

fruit

Transliteration (Etymon)

karphō

English translation (etymon)

to dry up, to wither

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, kappa, p. 79

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

Καρπός. ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκάρφθαι τὸ ἐξηράνθαι καρπὸς λέγεται· καρφός τις ὤν

Translation (En)

Karpos "fruit". It is so named from the fact that it dried up (kekarphthai), that is, it became dry, a *karphos, as it were

Comment

This etymology reported by Orion is probably meant for καρπός "fruit": the ripe fruit dried in the sun. This may apply specifically to some fruits which were dried up for conservation (figs, grapes), and then the etymology was applied to any fruit; or the etymology may apply to the action of the sun in general, believed to "dry up" the fruit while on the tree (see Eustathius, Parallels). The etymology implies one formal manipulation, the change of the aspirate [f] to a voiceless stop [p].

Parallels

Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, kappa 51 (καρπός (Γ 246): σημαίνει δύο. ὁ πρὸς ἄμητον ἡτοιμασμένος ἄσταχυς· καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ κεκάρφθαι, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ ἐξηράνθαι· καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς ‘καρπῷ βριθομένη’ (Θ 307). σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τὸν τῆς χειρὸς καρπόν, ὡς ἡ χρῆσις μαρτυρεῖ· ‘Ὀδυσ{σ}εῦς δὲ λαβὼν κύσε χεῖρ’ ἐπὶ καρπῷ ’(ω 398)· πλὴν καὶ τοῦτο, ὡς οἶμαι, παρὰ τὸ κάρφος, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ ξηρόν· κατὰ ξηρὸν γὰρ τῶν λοιπῶν μερῶν ἐστιν ὁ καρπὸς τῆς χειρός); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 300 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 301 (Κάρφη, παρὰ τὸ ἐξηράνθαι, καὶ καρπὸς, καὶ κατάξηρος στάχυς, καὶ τῆς χειρὸς ὁ καρπὸς, ὀστώδης ὢν καὶ ἄσαρκος. καὶ τὸ καρπῶσαι τὸ κατακαῦσαι τὰ ἐναντιζόμενα); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 2, 135 Van der Valk (Ὁ δὲ καρπός ἀπὸ τοῦ κάρφω κάρψω, τὸ ξηραίνω, ἐξ οὗ τὸ «κάρψε δέ οἱ χρόα». Ἐξήρανται γὰρ ἐπιλιπόντος τοῦ ἀναβαίνοντος ὑγροῦ ἐν τῇ χλωρότητι); Eustathius, Comm. Od. 1, 266 Stallbaum (Καρπὸς δὲ παρὰ τὸ κάρφω γίνεται Ἰωνικῇ τροπῇ τοῦ δασέος εἰς ψιλόν. ὃς δηλαδὴ πεπανθεὶς ἤδη κάρφεται μηκέτι αὐξόμενος ὑγροῦ ἐπεισροῇ. ὁμώνυμος δὲ ἡ λέξις. καρπὸς γὰρ, καὶ μέρος ἤτοι ἄρθρον χειρὸς μεταξὺ βραχίονος καὶ θέναρος, ἀφ’ οὗ παράγεται τὸ μετακάρπιον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 492 (Καρπός: Παρὰ τὸ κάρφος, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν ξηρὸν, γίνεται καρφὸς, καὶ καρπὸς, παρὰ τὸ κεκάρφθαι, ὃ ἐστὶν ἐξηράνθαι. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἅρπην, τουτέστιν ὁ τῇ δρεπάνῃ συναγόμενος. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ κείρω, τὸ κόπτω, ὁ παρακείμενος, κέκαρκα· ὁ παθητικὸς, κέκαρμαι· ἐξ αὐτοῦ καρπὸς, ὁ κοπτόμενος καὶ προσφερόμενος εἰς βρῶσιν. Πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν δὲ ἐβαρύνθη τὸ Κάρπος κύριον ὄνομα. Σημαίνει δὲ δύο· κυρίως γὰρ καρπὸς λέγεται, ὁ πρὸς ἄμητον ἡτοιμασμένος ἄσταχυς· οὗτος γὰρ ἡνίκα λευκανθῇ καὶ ξηρανθῇ, ἕτοιμός ἐστι πρὸς θερισμόν. Σημαίνει καὶ τὸ κοῖλον τῆς χειρὸς, ὡς τὸ, ‘κύσε χεῖρ’ ἐπὶ καρπῷ’. Ἔνθεν καὶ ὁ τῆς χειρὸς ξηρὸς τόπος καὶ ἄσαρκος καρπὸς λέγεται)

Modern etymology

Probably cognate with Lat. carpō and Lith. kerpù "to cut", with zero grade of the root (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Καρπός is still used in Modern Greek designating: 1. 'the final product of a plan', 2. 'children' as the "result of marriage", 3. 'any product of human activity'.

Entry By

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