σπάω

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

φάσγανον

Transliteration (Word)

phasganon

English translation (word)

sword

Transliteration (Etymon)

spaō

English translation (etymon)

to draw

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

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 one formal manipulation, the change of [p] to aspirate [ph]. It relies on the occurrences in tragedy of φάσγανον ἔσπασε (3 examples in Euripides, 1 in the Odyssey). As the competing etymology by σφάζω, it implies a metathesis of the [s]

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, phi, 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