σκήπτομαι

Frisk Etymological English

Grammatical information: v.
Meaning: to support oneself, to lean, to pretend something, to use as a pretention, σκήπτω, fut. σκήψω, aor. σκῆψαι, pass. σκηφθῆναι, perf. ἐπ-έσκηφα, pass. ἐπ-έσκημμαι to throw down, to sling, intr. to throw oneself down, to fall down, often w. prefix (almost only act.), κατα-, ἐπι-, ἀπο-, ἐν- (IA.); ἐπι-σκήπτω also to impose, to command, midd. (Att. juridical language) to object, to prosecute, to raise a complaint.
Other forms: Fut. σκήψομαι, aor. σκήψασθαι.
Derivatives: σκῆψις f. excuse, pretention, pretext (IA.), ἐπίσκηψις f. objection, complaint (Att.); ἀπόσκημμα ἀπέρεισμα H. (A. Fr. 18 = 265 M.), ἐπίσκημμα = ἐπίσκηψις (Lex. Rhet. Cant.). Further several expressions for stick etc.: 1. σκᾶπος κλάδος, καὶ ἄνεμος ποιός H. (on the last-mentioned des. s. σκηπτός). 2. σκηπ-άνη f. (AB) with -άνιον n. stick, scepter (Ν 59, Σ 247, Call. Fr. anon. 48, AP), σκαπάνιον βακτηρία, ἄλλοι σκίπωνα H. 3. σκᾶπτον n. (Dor.) id. (Pi.), IA. σκῆπτον in σκηπτ-οῦχος stick-, scepter-bearer = ruler (Hom. a. o.), with the Persians a. other Asiat. peoples who has a high office at the court (Semon., X a. o.) with -ία f. (A. a. o.). 4. σκῆπτρον n. id. (ep. poet. Il.; like βάκτρον a. o., Schwyzer 532 w. lit., Chantraine Form. 331); on the meaning etc. see Combellack ClassJourn. 43, 209ff., Gatti Acme 2 : 3, 23 ff. On itself, with deviant meaning 5. σκηπτός m. thunderbolt, lightning, suddenly breaking storm (trag., X., D., Arist. a. o.); cf. φρυκτός, στρεπ-τός; s. also below.
Origin: LW [a loanword which is (probably) not of Pre-Greek origin]X [probably] Eur. substr.
Etymology: With σκήπτω : σκῆψαι : σκᾶπος cf. e.g. κόπτω : κόψαι : κόπος, τύπτω : τύψαι : τύπος. The yot-present σκήπτω is formally easily understandable as deriv. of a noun σκᾶπος (*σκάψ?) stick; so prop. *'handle with the stick, supporting, driving or swinging' (Walde LEW2 s. scāpus, Persson Beitr. 2, 941, WP. 2, 561)?; semant. possible, though not immediately clear. Then not only σκᾶπος, but also σκηπάνη, -άνιον, σκᾶπτον and σκῆπτρον would have to be registered with the s. σκάπτω discussed manyfold expressions for plane, hew, dig etc.; only for σκηπτός (as for σκῆψις, σκῆμμα) one would have to start, because of the meaning, from the denominative σκήπτω (even from the presentstem?). In the sense of ἄνεμος ποιός' (H.) σκᾶπος would have been influnced by σκηπτός. A primary σκήπτω with the meaning support (from where then σκᾶπος as *'support' etc.) would be without non-Greek support. The Greek system with permanent full grade is in any case an innovation; the for σκᾶπτον, σκῆπτ(ρ)ον epected zero grade may be found in the Germ. word for shaft, spear, lance, OHG skaft m., OWNo. skapt n. a. o.; cf. anal. πηκτός beside old Ion. πακτόω (s. πήγνυμι). -- With σκᾶπος can be equated Lat. scāpus shaft, stalk and Alb. shkop stick, sceptre. Other longvowel forms, for Greek uninteresting, are: with ō Lat. scōpa thin twig, scōpiō the stalk, from which hang the berries of the wine-grapes; with ē CS. štapъ stick; unclear Latv. šk̨èps spear, javelin (cf. Vasmer s. štap; diff. W. Hofmann s. scāpus). Further rich material with partly hypothetical or doubtful combinations and extensive lit. in WP. 2, 561 f., Pok. 932; on Greek esp. Solmsen Wortforsch. 206 ff. -- Not here σκίπων and σκίμπτομαι. -- The word could be IE (*sk(e)h₂p-, but I think also of a loan from a Eur. substrate; cf. the discussion on σκάπτω.