γέφυρα: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: [[bridge]]; on other meanings in Homer s. below (Il.)<br />Other forms: Böot. <b class="b3">βέφυρα</b>, Cret. <b class="b3">δέφυρα</b>, Lak. <b class="b3">δίφουρα</b> (H.)<br />Derivatives: <b class="b3">γεφυρίς πόρνη τις ἐπὶ γεφύρας</b>, <b class="b3">ὡς</b> `<b class="b3">Ηρακλέων</b> H. (also with another meaning); denomin. <b class="b3">γεφυρόω</b> <b class="b2">make a bridge</b> (Ion.-Att.; Il. <b class="b2">dam up</b> s. below', ) with <b class="b3">γεφύρωσις</b> (Str.), <b class="b3">γεφύρωμα</b> [[bridge]] (J.), <b class="b3">γεφυρωτής</b> <b class="b2">builder of b.</b> (Plu.); <b class="b3">γεφυρίζω</b> [[abuse]] (Plu.), acc. to H. "<b class="b3">ἐπεὶ ἐν Ἐλευσῖνι ἐπὶ τῆς γεφύρας τοῖς μυστηρίοις καθεζόμενοι ἔσκωπτον τοὺς παριόντας</b>"; from there <b class="b3">γεφυρισμός</b> (Str.), <b class="b3">γεφυριστής</b> (Plu.).<br />Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]<br />Etymology: The variation of the first consonant suggests labiovelar <b class="b2">gʷ-</b>, but then the <b class="b3">γ-</b> cannot be explained. The evidently cognate Arm. <b class="b2">kamurǰ</b> [[bridge]] gives also unsurmountable problems if the word were IE. Beekes, Glotta ?? (2004), ??-?? follows Fur. 97 etc. in connecting Hattic [[hammuruwa]] [[beam]]. The word is an Anatolian loan (or Pre-Greek?). An original meaning [[beam]] fits all passages in Homer, and notably the expression <b class="b3">πολέμοιο γεφύρας</b>, where it has the same meaning as phalanx (`tree, beam'). The form with <b class="b3">-ι-</b> and <b class="b3">-ου-</b> point to Pre-Greek.

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