σφαῖρα: Difference between revisions

|etymtx=Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: <b class="b2">sphere, ball, balls in a boxing-glove, globe</b> (Od.).<br />Compounds: Compp., e.g. <b class="b3">σφαιρο-ειδής</b> [[spherical]] (IA.), <b class="b3">ἐπί-σφαιρα</b> n. pl. <b class="b2">leather coating of boxing-balls, boxing-gloves</b>, also of the cover of the point of a sword (Plb., Plu.).<br />Derivatives: 1. <b class="b3">σφαιρ-ηδόν</b> [[like a ball]], [[sphere]] (Ν 204 a. o.) 2. <b class="b3">-ίον</b> dimin. (Pl. Ep., hell. a. late). 3. <b class="b3">-εύς</b> m. des. of young men in Sparta (after the boxing-gloves; Paus., inscr.; Bosshardt 75). 4. <b class="b3">-ικός</b> (Archyt., Arist. etc.; Chantraine Études 131 f.), <b class="b3">-ειος</b> (Arist.-comm.) [[spherical]]. 5. <b class="b3">-ῖτις κυπάρισσος</b> (Gal.; after the form of the fruits?, cf. Redard 77); <b class="b3">*-ίτης</b> ([[ἄρτος]]) in Lat. [[spaerīta]] m. kind of cake (Cato; Leumann Sprache 1, 206 = Kl. Schr. 173). 6. <b class="b3">-ών</b>, <b class="b3">-ῶνος</b> m. [[round fishing-net]] (Opp.), 7. <b class="b3">-ίζω</b> (<b class="b3">ἀντι-</b>, <b class="b3">δια-</b>, <b class="b3">συν-</b>) [[to play at ball]] (Att.; <b class="b3">φαιρίδδειν σφαιρίζειν</b> H.) with <b class="b3">-ισις</b> (Arist.), <b class="b3">-ισμός</b> (Artem.), <b class="b3">-ισμα</b> (Eust.) [[ball-game]], <b class="b3">-ιστής</b> [[ball-player]], <b class="b3">-ιστικός</b> [[belonging to a ball-game]], <b class="b3">-ιστήριον</b> <b class="b2">ball-court, -house</b>, <b class="b3">-ίστρα</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (hell. a. late). 8. <b class="b3">-όομαι</b>, <b class="b3">-όω</b> (<b class="b3">ἀπο-</b>, <b class="b3">δια-</b>, <b class="b3">ἐν-</b>) [[to be round]], [[to round off]], [[to provide with a round edge]] (X., Arist., hell. a. late) with <b class="b3">-ωμα</b> [[rounded body]] (Arist. a.o.), <b class="b3">-ωσις</b> [[sphere-formation]] (late), <b class="b3">-ωτήρ</b>, <b class="b3">-ῆρος</b> m. "rounded object", [[knob]], [[bulb or such]] (Tab. Heracl., hell. pap.); s. Solmsen IF 31, 492ff.<br />Origin: XX [etym. unknown]<br />Etymology: Formation like [[πεῖρα]], [[σπεῖρα]], [[μοῖρα]] a.o. (s. vv. w. lit.). -- No agreement outside Greek. If prop. referring to the quick movement of a ball, one could connect [[σφαῖρα]] to [[σπαίρω]] a. cognates; s. v. w. further lit. Attempts, to explains the variation <b class="b3">σπ-</b> σφαῖρα <b class="b3">σφ-</b>, in Hiersche Ten. aspiratae 196 f. [improbable] Cf. also [[σφῦρα]], [[σφυρόν]] and [[σπύραθοι]], [[σπυράδες]] [Pre-Greek]. -- From [[σφαῖρα]] Syr. [[êspērō]], Aethiop. <b class="b2">ṣpīr</b> (Schwyzer 159 a. 161), Arm. <b class="b2">sp`er</b> (from where Georg. [[spero]]; Bailey Trans. Phil. Soc. 1945, 28). On [[σφαῖρα]] in gen. s. Hommel Gymn. 56, 201 ff., S. Mendner Das Ballspiel im Leben der Völker (Münster 1956) 77ff. -- Connection with [[σπαίρω]] is improbable.