φυσάω
Word
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Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Translation (En)
Parallels
Eustathius, Comm. Il. 3, 506 Van der Valk (ἐκ τοῦ φυσᾶν, ἐξ οὗ, φασί, καὶ ἡ φύσις, ὡς οἷον φύσησις); Eustathius, Exegesis in canonem iambicum pentecostalem 1.46 (ὅθεν καὶ ἡ φύσις παρωνόμασται κατά τινα σοφὸν παλαιὸν ὡς οἷον φύσησις κατὰ τὸ ἀρχέγονον τῆς παραγωγῆς. φυσᾷ γὰρ ὥσπερ αὐτὴ καὶ οὕτω διιστᾷ καὶ ἐξογκοῖ τρόπῳ οἰδήσεως καὶ αὔξει τὸ ζωϊκὸν σῶμα ὡσεὶ καὶ ἀσκόν τινα ἐμφυσώμενον, κἀντεῦθεν τὰς προσφυεῖς διαστάσεις ἔχει τὰ ἐκ γῆς γεννώμενα καὶ τρεφόμενα καὶ αὐξόμενα, συνεπιλαμβανομένου τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ὑπερφυοῦς); ibid., 1.229 (τὰ δὲ τῶν ὑγιαινόντων ἐξάλλεται οἷον αὐξόμενα καὶ ἐξαιρόμενα ζωογόνῳ πνεύματι φυσικῷ. διὸ ἀστείως οἱ παλαιοὶ σοφοί, καθὰ καὶ προείρηται, τὴν φύσιν παρὰ τὸ φυσᾶν ἀξιοῦσι παρῆχθαι)
Comment
Derivational etymology implying a syncope, from the action noun φύσησις "blowing" to φύσις "nature". The etymology is probably an extension from the familiar one which derives ψυχή "soul" from ψύχω "to cool", implying a relationship between breathing and life. Nature being also a living reality, breathing had to be found somewhere, and that could suggest the verb "to blow" as etymon. Then a more sophisticated philosophical justification was provided.