φύω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
φύσις
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
phusis
English translation (word)
nature
Transliteration (Etymon)
phuō
English translation (etymon)
to make grow, to produce
Century
1 BC
Reference
fr. 628
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
Φύσις. ἡ φύουσα ἐν ἅπασι
Translation (En)
Phusis "nature": the one which causes growth (phuousa) in everything
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), phi, p. 617 (φύσις, παρὰ τὸ φύω, φύσω, φύσις· ἡ ἐν πᾶσι φύουσα); Etym. Gudianum, phi, p. 559 (Φῦσις, τὸ φύον καὶ κινούμενον ἐν ἅπασι); ibid., p. 559 (Φύσις, παρὰ τὸ φύειν τὰς ὑποστάσεις, ἤτοι τίκτειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ πεφυκέναι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 802 (Φύσις: Παρὰ τὸ φύω φύσω, ἡ ἐν ἅπασι φύουσα καὶ κινουμένη)
Modern etymology
Action noun derived from φύομαι "to grow", belonging with φυτόν "plant", φῦλον "tribe", φυλή "tribe" etc. Cognate with Lat. fui "I was", Engl. to be, Germ. bin "I am", etc. (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Yes
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational etymology which is the correct one. It is not found earlier in our sources, maybe because it was obvious. However, the fact that a different etymology was suggested for φύσις led grammarians to answer and to formulate explicitly this derivation.