φέρω

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

ὄμβρος

Transliteration (Word)

ombros

English translation (word)

rain

Transliteration (Etymon)

pherō

English translation (etymon)

to carry

Author

Etym. Magnum

Century

12 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 623

Ed.

T. Gaisford, Georgii Choerobosci epimerismi in Psalmos, vol. 3, Oxford, 1842

Quotation

Ὄμβρος: Παρὰ τὸ ὁμοῦ ῥεῖν, ὁμόροος, ὅμορος, καὶ συγκοπῇ ὄμρος· καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ μ πρὸ τοῦ ρ οὐ δύναται εἶναι, πλεονάζει τὸ β, καὶ γίνεται ὄμβρος, ὁ ὁμοῦ ῥέων καὶ κατερχόμενος. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ φέρω κατὰ συγκοπὴν φρὸς καὶ βρὸς, καὶ προσθήκῃ τοῦ ο, ὄβρος, ὥσπερ στοῦν ὀστοῦν, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ μ, ὄμβρος. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ βάρος βρὸς καὶ ὄμβρος, ὁ βαρέως φερόμενος

Translation (En)

Ombros "rain": from homou rheîn "to flow together", *homoroos, *homoros, and by syncope *omros. And since the [m] cannot stand before [r], the [b] is added and it becomes ombros, the one flowing and pouring down together. Or from pherō "to carry", by syncope *phros, and *bros, by prothesis of [o], *obros, as in *stoûn, ostoûn "bone", and by adjunction of [m] ombros. Or from baros "weight", *bros and ombros, the heavily brought one

Comment

This etymology may have been drawn from the older etymology by βάρος, found at the end of the same notice: from the explanation ὁ βαρέως φερόμενος, given to justify the etymology by βάρος in Choeroboscus and the Etym. Gudianum (see ὄμβρος / βάρος) the etymon was identified as φέρω, not as βάρος.

Parallels

There is no parallel

Modern etymology

Unclear. Lat. imber "rain" belongs with Skt. abhrá- "cloud" and cannot be directly compared with ὄμβρος. Loanword or contamination?

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes, as a learned word for "rain". The usual word is βροχή

Entry By

Le Feuvre