βιβάω

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Word-form

βέβαιος

Transliteration (Word)

bebaios

English translation (word)

firm, steady

Transliteration (Etymon)

bibaō

English translation (etymon)

to walk

Author

Theognostus

Century

9 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Canones sive De orthographia 290

Ed.

J.A Cramer, Anecdota Graeca e codd. manuscriptis bibliothecarum Oxoniensium, vol. 3, Oxford: 1836

Quotation

τὸ βέβαιος παρὰ τὸ βιβῶ βίβαιος, καὶ τροπῇ Αἰολικῇ τοῦ ι εἰς ε ὡς ἀγχίμαχοι ἀγχέμαχοι· ἀδίκαστος ἀδέκαστος, γέγονε βέβαιος

Translation (En)

Bebaios "steady", comes from bibô "to walk", *bibaios, and through Aeolic change of [i] into [e], as in *ankhimakhoi, ankhemakhoi "fighting hand to hand", adikastos, adekastos "without judgement", comes bebaios

Comment

The etymology is basically the same as the one deriving βέβαιος from βαίνω (see βέβαιος / βαίνω), but instead of starting from the perfect form, it starts from the Homeric reduplicated present stem βίβημι. The reduplication is already in the etymon, but with the vowel [i] since it is a present stem. The [e] of βέβαιος is accounted for as a dialectal form: the explanation starts from the Homeric form ἀγχέμαχος, instead of *ἀγχίμαχος, to ascribe to Aeolic a tendency to change [e] into [I]: as a matter of fact, this is also verified in cases like Lesb. τέρτος "third", = Ion.Att. τρίτος.

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, beta 75 (Βέβαιος· ὁ ἀσφαλής· παρὰ τὸ βιβῶ γίνεται βίβαιος, ὡς τιμῶ Τίμαιος καὶ πηδῶ Πήδαιος, καὶ κατὰ τροπὴν Αἰολικὴν τοῦ ι εἰς ε, ὡς ἀγχίμαχος ἀγχέμαχος, ἀδίκαστος ἀδέκαστος, γέγονε βέβαιος, ὁ ἑδραῖος καὶ βεβηκὼς πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν ἀστηρίκτων. γράφεται δὲ διὰ τοῦ ε Ψιλοῦ καὶ τῆς αι διφθόγγου. τὰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ αιος ἀπὸ ῥημάτων εἴτε κύρια εἴτε προσηγορικὰ καὶ προπαροξύνονται καὶ διὰ τῆς αι διφθόγγου γράφονται, οἷον τιμῶ Τίμαιος, πηδῶ Πήδαιος, οἷον Ε 69· ‘Πήδαιον δ’ ἄρ’ ἔπεφνε, λύω Λύαιος ὄνομα κύριον, ματῶ μάταιος. οὕτως οὖν καὶ βιβῶ βίβαιος καὶ βέβαιος διὰ τῆς αι διφθόγγου. οὕτως Θεόγνωστος); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 416 (idem); Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 265 (Βέβαιος· ἐκ τοῦ βιβῶ βίβαιος, καὶ τροπῇ βέβαιος· ἢ παρὰ τὸ βαίνω κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν βέβαιος, κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν ὁ ἑδραῖος καὶ ἀμετακίνητος); ibid., p. 265 (Ἐπιμερισμῶν τοῦ Ψαλτηρίου. 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. Τὰ διὰ τοῦ ΑΙΟΣ ἀπὸ ῥημάτων, εἴτε κύρια εἴτε προσηγορικὰ, προπαροξύνονται, καὶ διὰ τῆς ΑΙ δι-   φθόγγου γράφονται· οἷον, πηδῶ, Πήδαιος· ὑλῶ, Ὕλαιος· λύω, Λύαιος, ὄνομα κύριον· ματῶ, μάταιος. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ βιβῶ, βίβαιος καὶ βέβαιος. Οὕτω Θεόγνωστος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, beta, p. 381 (Βέβαιος. παρὰ τὸ βιβῶ γίνεται βίβαιος, ὡς τιμῶ Τίμαιος, καὶ κατὰ τροπὴν αἰολικὴν τοῦ ι εἰς ε βέβαιος. [τὰ διὰ τοῦ αιος ἀπὸ ῥημάτων, εἴτε κύρια, εἴτε προσηγορικὰ, καὶ προπαροξύνονται καὶ διὰ τῆς αι διφθόγγου γράφονται, οἷον· τιμῶ, Τίμαιος· πηδῶ, Πήδαιος. Πήδαιον γὰρ ἔπεφνε. λύω, λύαιος, ὄνομα· Λυαῖος, κύριον. οὕτω καὶ βιβῶ, βίβαιος καὶ βέβαιος.])

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