βαιός

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Sat, 07/10/2021 - 23:40

Word-form

βέβαιος

Transliteration (Word)

bebaios

English translation (word)

firm, steady

Transliteration (Etymon)

baios

English translation (etymon)

little, small

Author

Choeroboscus

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 144

Ed.

T. Gaisford, Georgii Choerobosci epimerismi in Psalmos, vol. 3, Oxford, 1842

Quotation

Βεβαιῶ παρὰ τὸ βέβαιος· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ βαιὸν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ μικρὸν, καὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς, τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ βίβημι, βήσω, ὁ δεύτερος ἀόριστος ἔβην, ἡ μετοχὴ βὰς, βάντος, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ βαιὸς, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν βέβαιος.

Translation (En)

Bebaiô "to make firm": from bebaios "firm"; the latter comes from baion, which means "little", and true. The latter comes from bibēmi "to walk", <future> bēsō, second aorist ebēn, the participle is bas, bantos, and from it comes baios and through reduplication bebaios

Comment

Derivational etymology which derives the word from βαιός "little" through reduplication, and derives βαιός itself from ἔβην, aorist of βαίνω (here under the form βίβημι). The etymology is purely based on phonetic similarity: there is no semantic connection between "little" and "firm", but Choeroboscus does not address this point

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 265 (Βεβαιῶ <Ps. 40, 13>· παρὰ τὸ βέβαιος· τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ βαιόν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ ὀλίγον [βεβαίως τὸ ἀληθές]· τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ βίβημι, ὁ δεύτερος ἀόριστος ἔβην, ἡ μετοχὴ βάς βάντος, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ βαός καὶ βαιός, καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν βέβαιος, ὁ ἀληθὴς καὶ μὴ ψευδής); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 193 (Βεβαιῶ: Παρὰ τὸ βέβαιον· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ βαιὸν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ μικρὸν καὶ ἀληθές· τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ βίβημι, βήσω· ὁ δεύτερος ἀόριστος, ἔβην· ἡ μετοχὴ, βὰς βάντος· καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ βαὸς, καὶ   βαιός· καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν, βέβαιος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ βιβῶ, βίβαιος, ὡς τιμῶ Τίμαιος· καὶ   τροπῇ Αἰολικῇ τοῦ ι εἰς ε, (ὡς ἀγχίμαχος, ἀγχέμαχος· ἀδίκαστος, ἀδέκαστος,) γίνεται βέβαιος, ὁ ἀσφαλὴς καὶ ἑδραῖος καὶ βεβηκώς· πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν ἀστηρίκτων); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 416 (idem)

Modern etymology

Derived from the stem *βεβα-, which is the perfect stem. of βαίνω "to go". Probably because that on which one can walk is firm and stable

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes

Entry By

Le Feuvre