γῆ + ἐπί + ὑγρός

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Tue, 06/01/2021 - 15:39

Word-form

γέφυρα

Transliteration (Word)

gephura

English translation (word)

dyke

Transliteration (Etymon)

gē + epi + hugros

English translation (etymon)

earth + on + wet

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

Peri Pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 295

Source

Eustathius

Ref.

Commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem 4, 495

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, Leiden, 1971-1987

Quotation

ὅτι κυρίως γέφυρά ἐστι γῆ ἐφ’ ὑγρᾶς, Ἡρωδιανὸς λέγει

Translation (En)

Herodian says gephura "dyke" means literally "ground on the water" (gē eph' hugras)

Comment

The word is understood as the univerbation of a syntagm Noun + prepositional phrase. It implies two formal manipulations, the dropping of η, and the loss of the second [g], for which parallels are given in other sources, probably also coming from Herodian. It is a descriptive etymology referring to the nature and location of the dyke (or, after Homer, the bridge), which is a road on the water.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, gamma, p. 37 (Γέφυρα, οἷον γῆ ἐφ’ ὑγρῷ κειμένη, οἷον γήφερά τις οὖσα); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), p. 613 (γέφυρα, οἱονεὶ γεφ τὶς ἦν. γῆς ἐφ’ ὑγρῶν κειμένης); Etym. Gudianum, gamma, p. 308 (Γέφυρα· παρὰ τὸ γῆ καὶ τὸ φύρω, τὸ ἀναμιγνύω· [ἡ ἐφ’ ὑγρῷ τόπῳ κειμένη· ἢ] ἡ τῇ γῇ φυρα[ν]θεῖσα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ γέφυγρα, ἡ ἐφ’ ὑγρῷ κειμένη γῆ); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, gamma, p. 308 (Γέφυρα· ἡ κατὰ ποταμῶν οἰκοδομία, οἱονεὶ γήφυγρά τις οὖσα, γῆ ἐφ’ ὑγρῷ κειμένη); ibid., p. 308 (Γέφυρα· ἡ κατὰ τῶν ποταμῶν οἰκοδομία, δι’ ἧς οἱ ὁδοιπόροι πορεύονται. εἴρηται ἡ ἐφ’ ὑγροῦ γῆ γέφυρα· ἐλλείπει δὲ τὸ γ, ὡς ἐν τῷ σιγωπή σιωπή, ἡ τῆς ὀπὸς σιγή); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 229 (Γέφυρα: Ἡ κατὰ τὸν τόπον οἰκοδομὴ, δι’ ἧς ὁδοιπόροι πορεύονται. Παρὰ τὸ γῆ καὶ τὸ φυρῶ, τὸ    ἀναμιγνύω, γήφυρά τις οὖσα, ἡ τῇ γῇ φυραθεῖσα, καὶ ἐφ’ ὑγρῷ τόπῳ κειμένη. Ἢ ἡ ἐφ’ ὑγροῦ γῆ, οἱονεὶ γέφυγρά τις οὖσα); Etym. Symeonis, gamma 80 (Γέφυρα· ἡ κατὰ τὸν τόπον οἰκοδομὴ δι’ ἧς οἱ ὁδοιπόροι πορεύονται εἴρηται· ἢ ἡ ἐφ’ ὑγροῦ γῆ οἱονεὶ γέφυρά τις οὖσα ἢ φυρὰ τῆς γῆς οὖσα ἡ φυραθεῖσα καὶ ἐφ’ ὑγρᾶς κειμένη. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς γῆν μεταφέρειν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, gamma, p. 430 (Γέφυρα. ἡ κατὰ τόπον οἰκοδομὴ, δι’ ἧς οἱ ὁδοιπόροι πορεύονται. εἴρηται ἡ ἐφ’ ὑγροῦ γῆ, οἱονεὶ γεφυγρὰ τὶς οὖσα. ἢ γῆ φυρά τις, ἡ φυραθεῖσα καὶ ὑφ’ ὑγροῦ κειμένη. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς γῆν μεταφέρειν)

Modern etymology

Boeotian βέφυρα, Cretan δέφυρα point to *gwebh-, Isolated within Greek. Cognate with Arm. kamurǰ "bridge" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has γέφυρα "bridge"

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