καίριος

Validation

No

Word-form

καρπός

Transliteration (Word)

karpos

English translation (word)

fruit

Transliteration (Etymon)

kairios

English translation (etymon)

timely

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum (Excerpta e cod. Vat. gr. 1456) 113

Ed.

A.M. Micciarelli Collesi, "Nuovi `excerpta' dall' Etimologico' di Orione," Byzantion 40 (1970): 521-542

Quotation

Καρπός: τὸ καίριον παντὸς πράγματος. ἢ <ὁ> καιροῦ παντὸς ἴδιος καρπός

Translation (En)

Karpos "fruit": the timely point (kairion) of everything. Or the fruit proper to all seasons.

Comment

The etymology aims at accounting for the metaphoric meaning of καρπός "fruit" (the fruit of labour, veg sim.). It does so by assuming the etymon is καίριος "in season, timely", which is appropriate also for the proper meaning "fruit": fruits are produced timely, and the produce of anything comes in due time. Formally, the etymology implies a formal manipulation, the change of the diphthong [ai] into the plain vowel [a]. The etymology is repeated in the Gudianum, but mixed with another one in a faulty redaction.

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 300 (Καρπὸς, παρὰ τὸ φυῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς κάρας, καὶ τοῦ ὀποῦ τοῦ δένδρου. τὸ γὰρ ἄκρον τοῦ σώματος ἡ κεφαλή. καὶ ἡ τοῦ δένδρου κεφαλὴ τὸ ἄκρον ἐστι καρπὸς τὸ καίριον παντὸς πράγματος, ἢ ὁ τοῦ καιροῦ παντὸς ἴδιος καρπός)

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

Le Feuvre