βάθος

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

βυθός

Transliteration (Word)

buthos

English translation (word)

depth of the sea

Transliteration (Etymon)

bathos

English translation (etymon)

depth

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, beta, p. 38

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

Βυθός, παρὰ τὸ βάθος, ἣ παρὰ τὸ βύζω, βυτὸς καὶ βυθός.

Translation (En)

Buthos ("depth of the sea"): from bathos ("depth") or from buzō, *butos and then buthos.

Comment

Derivational etymology implying only one formal change, from [a] to [u]. Descriptive etymology explains the lemma through a general feature: the marine depth is a specific kind of depth.

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, beta 289 (Βυθός· τὸ βάθος τὸ ἄφατον· παρὰ τὸ βάθος, τοῦ α εἰς υ τραπέντος. ἢ παρὰ τὸ βύζω βυστός καὶ βυθός); ibid., beta 291 (Βύκχις (Alcae. passim)· ὄνομα Αἰολικόν· παρὰ τὸ Βάκχος Βακχίς καὶ Βύκχις, ὡς ἵππος ἱππίς καὶ οἶκος Οἰκίς, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς υ, ὡς βάθος βύθος); ibid., beta 295 (Βυσσός Ω 80· τὸ βάθος· παρὰ τὸ βυθός, τροπῇ τοῦ θ εἰς σ καὶ πλεονασμῷ ἑτέρου σ βυσσός); Etym. Gudianum, beta, p. 291 (Βυθός· παρὰ τὸ βάθος· ἢ παρὰ τὸ βύζω βυστός καὶ βυθός); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 217 (Βυθός: Τὸ βάθος τὸ ἄφατον, παρὰ τὸ βάθος, τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς υ. Ἣ παρὰ τὸ βύζω, βυστὸς καὶ βυθὸς, τροπῇ τοῦ θ εἰς σ, καὶ πλεονασμῷ ἑτέρου σ, γίνεται βυσσὸς, τὸ βάθος); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 514 (βυθός· τὸ βάθος, τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς υ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ βύζω βυστός καὶ βυθός); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, beta, p. 411 (Βυθός. τὸ βάθος, τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς υ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ βύζω, βυστὸς καὶ βυθός).

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has βυθός as the name of the bottom of the sea, a lake, or a riverbed

Entry By

Arthur de Tocqueville