σφάζω

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Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

φάσγανον

Transliteration (Word)

phasganon

English translation (word)

sword

Transliteration (Etymon)

sphazō

English translation (etymon)

to slay

Author

Herodian?

Century

2 AD

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, phi p. 160

Ed.

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

Quotation

Φάσγανον. φῶ τὸ ἀναιρῶ. τοῦ φῶ παράγωγον φάζω, ὡς βῶ βάζω. τοῦ δὲ φῶ μέλλων φάσω, καὶ ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα φάσγανον. ὡς λείψω λείψανον. ἢ παρὰ τὴν σπάσιν σπάγανον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ σφάζω σφάγανον, καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ σ, φάσγανον

Translation (En)

Phasganon "sword": Phô means "to kill", its derivative is phazō, as "I go" bazō "I walk". The future of phô is phasō, and phasganon is a deverbal noun, as in leipsō "I will leave" leipsanon "remains". Or from the fact that it is drawn (spasin), *spaganon. Or from sphazō "to slay", *sphaganon and with metathesis of the [s] phasganon

Comment

Derivational etymology implying a formal manipulation, the metathesis of [s]. The stem of σφάζω is σφαγ- (σφαγή "slaughter"), which provided the [g]. This is a functional etymology: the function of the sword is to slay. Orion quotes this etymology last, which may indicate that it comes ultimately from Herodian's Epimerisms (and this would be confirmed by the presence of the same etymology in the Epimerismi homerici, see Parallels): the first etymology mentioned in Orion, by the future of *φῶ "to kill", goes back to Philoxenus.

Parallels

Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.190 (φάσγανον: παρὰ τὸ σφάζω σφάγανον καὶ ἐν ὑπερθέσει φάσγανον); Etym. Gudianum, phi, p. 549 (Φάσγανον, ἄορ, ξίφος, παρὰ τὸ σφάζω, σφάσω, σφάγανον καὶ φάσγανον· ἢ παρὰ τὸ σφάσαι, ὅ ἐστι φονεῦσαι); ibid., p. 549 (Φάσγανον, σπάγανόν τι ὂν, παρὰ τὴν σπάσιν· παρὰ τὸ σφᾶσθαι, ὅ ἐστι φονεῦσαι· ἢ σφάζω σφάγανον καὶ φάσγανον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 788 (Φάσγανον: Παρὰ τὸ σφάζω, σφάγανον· καὶ ὑπερθέσει φάσγανον· ἢ σπάγανόν τι ὂν, παρὰ τὴν σπάσιν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ φᾶσθαι, ὅ ἐστι φονεῦσαι); Ps-Zonaras, Lexicon, phi, p.  1798-1799 (Φάσγανον. ξίφος. παρὰ τὸ σφάζω, σφάσγανον καὶ ἐν ὑπερθέσει φάσγανον. [ἢ σπάγανον τὶ ὂν, παρὰ τὴν σπάσιν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ φᾶσθαι, ὅ ἐστι φονεῦσαι)

Modern etymology

Probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre