ξίφος: Difference between revisions

{{etym

|etymtx=Grammatical information: n.<br />Meaning: <b class="b2">sword with straight double-edged balde</b> (Il.; see Trümpy Fachausdrücke 60ff.); metaph. of the <b class="b3">ξίφος-</b> like bone of the cuttle-fish (Arist.), as plantname = <b class="b3">ξιφίον</b> (Thphr.); also <b class="b3">σκίφος</b> (sch., EM, H.); on the anlaut Schwyzer 266, Heubeck Würzb. Jb. 4, 201. Myk. <b class="b2">qi-si-pe-e</b> (du., Heubeck Minos 6, 55f.)?<br />Dialectal forms: Myc. [[qisipee]] \/[[kʷisiphee]]\/ du.<br />Compounds: As 1. member a.o. in <b class="b3">ξιφη-φόρος</b> <b class="b2">sword-bearing</b> (A., E.) with analog. <b class="b3">-η-</b> (Schwyzer 440); on <b class="b3">σκιφα-τόμος</b> s. below. As 2. member in <b class="b3">ἄ-ξιφος</b> [[swordess]] (Lyc., A. D.), adv. <b class="b3">ἀξιφ-εί</b> (Hdn.).<br />Derivatives: 1. <b class="b3">ξιφίδιον</b> dimin. (Ar., Th.), also plantname = <b class="b3">σπαργάνιον</b>, [[swodgrass]] (Ps.-Dsc.; Strömberg Pfl.n. 44); 2. <b class="b3">ξιφύδριον</b> (<b class="b3">σκιφ-</b> Epich.) name of a shell-animal (medic., H.). 3. <b class="b3">ξιφίας</b> (<b class="b3">σκιφ-</b> Epich.) m. [[swordfish]] (Arist.), also name of a comet (Plin.; Scherer Gestirnnamen 107 ff.); 4. <b class="b3">ξιφίον</b> n. kind of swordlily, <b class="b2">Gladiolus segetum</b> (Thphr., Dsc.); 5. <b class="b3">ξιφή-ρης</b> <b class="b2">heavily armed</b> (E., late prose). 6. <b class="b3">ξιφήν ὁ φέρων ξίφος</b> Suid. 7. <b class="b3">ξιφίνδα παίζειν</b> = <b class="b3">ξιφίζειν</b> (Theognost.). 8. <b class="b3">ξιφίζω</b> dance a swoddance' (Cratin.), <b class="b3">ἀποξιφίζειν ὀρχεῖσθαι ποιὰν ὄρχησιν</b>, <b class="b3">σκιφίζει ξιφίζει</b>. <b class="b3">ἔστι δε σχῆμα μαχαιρικῆς ὀρχήσεως</b> H. From there <b class="b3">ξιφ-ισμός</b> (Ath., D. C.), <b class="b3">-ισμα</b> (Choerob., H.) [[sworddance]], <b class="b3">ξιφιστύς μαχαιρομαχία</b>, <b class="b3">μάχη ἐκ χειρῶν</b> H. (Benveniste Noms d'agent 74); but <b class="b3">ξιφιστήρ</b> m. (pap., Plu.). <b class="b3">-ιστής</b> H. [[swordbelt]] because of the meaning rather directly from <b class="b3">ξίφος</b>; cf. on <b class="b3">κορυφιστήρ</b> s. <b class="b3">κορυφή</b>. With prefix <b class="b3">δια-ξιφίζομαι</b> <b class="b2">fight with the sword</b> (Ar.), <b class="b3">διαξιφισ-μός</b> m. [[swordbattle]] (Plu.). -- Two further H.glosses: <b class="b3">ξίφαι τὰ ἐν ταῖς ῥυκάναις δρέπανα η σιδήρια</b> and (wit metathesis) <b class="b3">σκιφίνιον πλέγμα ἐκ φοίνικος</b> (after <b class="b3">κοφίνιον</b> a. o.); here also <b class="b3">σκιφα-τόμος</b> profession (Sparta Ia) ?; cf. on <b class="b3">κίφος</b>.<br />Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]<br />Etymology: Etymology unknown; like so many weaponnnames prob. LW [loanword]. For oriental origin (Aram. [[sajǝfā]], ārab. [[saifun]], Egypt.. [[sēfet]] [[sword]]) a.o. Lewy Fremdw. 176 f., Spiegelberg KZ 41, 127ff., Huber Comm. Aenip. 9, 34, Schrader-Nehring Reallex. 2, 362 f. Wrong IE etymologies in Bq (rejected). New hypothesis by Čop KZ 74, 231 f.: to Osset. [[äxsirf]] [[sickle]], which can go back on IE <b class="b2">*ksibhró-</b>. Myc. [[qisipee]] points to a labio-velar (possible also for [[äxsirf]] ), which could have been lost through dissimilation with the following <b class="b3">φ</b>; s. Heubeck Minos 6, 55 ff. with further details and lit. On the treatment of the labio-velar cf. also Schwyzer 299. The Myc. form clearly points to Pre-Greek origin; perhaps the forms with <b class="b3">σκιφ-</b> also point in this direction. It is well known that Pre-Greek had labio-velars (Beekes, Pre-Greek).

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