βάσις + τηρέω
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
Βακτηρία. παρὰ τὸ τὴν βάσιν τηρεῖν
Translation (En)
baktēria "staff": from the fact it wards (tērein) the walk (basin)
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 257 (Βακτηρία· διὰ τὸ τὸν βαίνοντα τηρεῖν); Erym. Gudianum Additamenta, beta, p. 257 ( παρὰ τὸ τὴν βάσιν τηρεῖν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 185 (Βακτηρία: Ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐρείδειν τὴν βάσιν ἐπ’ αὐτῆς· τουτέστι στήριγμα εἶναι τοῦ περιπατεῖν καὶ βαδίζειν εὐκόλως. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ τὴν βάσιν τηρεῖν); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 386 (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, beta, p. 372 (idem); Scholia in Aristophanem, Plut. 272b, Scholia vetera 272b (βακτηρία” ἤτοι ἡ τὴν “βάσιν τηροῦσα”, καὶ ποιοῦσα ἑδραίαν, ἢ “βατηρία” τις οὖσα, οἱονεὶ βάσεως αἰτία, καὶ ἐν πλεονασμῷ τοῦ “κ” <βακτηρία>);Scholia in Aristophanem, Plut. 272b, Scholia recentiora Tzetzae (ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ βακτηρία παρὰ τὸ τὴν βάσιν τηρεῖν)
Comment
Compositional etymology implying a segmentation βακ-τηρ-, and therefore the addition of a [k] (which remains implicit). Only the first syllable of the first element is kept in the compound, which in that case agrees with the morphological segmentation as -σι- as a suffix. This is a functional etymology: function of the staff is to keep the walking man from falling and to guard him.