*φῶ

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

φάσγανον

Transliteration (Word)

phasganon

English translation (word)

sword

Transliteration (Etymon)

*phô

English translation (etymon)

to kill

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 193*

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976]:

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, phi, p. 160

Ed.

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

Quotation

(Philoxenus)  φάσγανον· <ἔστι> φῶ, τὸ ἀναιρῶ· τοῦ φῶ παράγωγον φάζω, ὡς βῶ βάζω. τοῦ δὲ φῶ ὁ μέλλων φάσω καὶ ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα φάσγανον, ὡς λείψω λείψανον

Translation (En)

Phasganon "sword": There is a verb *phô "to kill"; the derivative of *phô is phazō, as for * "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"

Comment

Derivational etymology starting from the future of a monosyllabic verb and providing a parallel. The assumed original *φῶ is a ghost form invented to account for the verbal adjective -φατος "killed". It belongs to the root of θείνω, φόνος

Parallels

Apollonius Soph., Lexicon homericum, p. 161 (φάσγανον ξίφος, παρὰ τὸ φάσαι, ὅ ἐστιν ἀνελεῖν); Hesychius, Lexicon, phi 202 (idem); 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