διφθέρα: Difference between revisions

|Definition=ἡ, <span class="sense"><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">A</span> <b class="b2">prepared hide, piece of leather</b>, <span class="bibl">Hdt.1.194</span>; ἐκ διφθερέων πεποιημέναι κυνέαι <span class="bibl">Id.7.77</span>; <b class="b3">διφθέραι</b>, opp. <b class="b3">δέρρεις</b> (hides), <span class="bibl">Th.2.75</span>; of a <b class="b2">drum</b>, <span class="bibl">Hero <span class="title">Aut.</span>20.4</span>; esp. as writing-material, τὰς βύβλους διφθέρας καλέουσι ἀπὸ τοῦ παλαιοῦ οἱ Ἴωνες <span class="bibl">Hdt.5.58</span>; δ. μελαγγραφεῖς <span class="bibl">E.<span class="title">Fr.</span>627</span>; <b class="b3">δ. βασιλικαί</b>, of Persian records, Ctes. ap. <span class="bibl">D.S.2.32</span>; <b class="b3">δ. ἱεραί</b>, at Carthage, Plu.2.942c; <b class="b3">χαλκαῖ δ</b>., ib. 297a, cf. Sch.<span class="bibl">Il.1.175</span>: prov., ἀρχαιότερα τῆς διφθέρας λέγεις <span class="bibl">Diogenian.3.2</span>; used for bindings, <b class="b3">διφθέρας περιβάλλειν</b> (sc. <b class="b3">βιβλίοις</b>) <span class="bibl">Luc.<span class="title">Ind.</span>16</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">II</span> <b class="b2">anything made of leather, leathern jerkin</b>, <span class="bibl">Ar.<span class="title">Nu.</span>72</span>, <span class="bibl">Pl.<span class="title">Cri.</span>53d</span>, <span class="title">SIG</span> 1259.6 (iv B. C.), <span class="bibl">Men.<span class="title">Epit.</span>12</span>, <span class="bibl">Luc. <span class="title">Tim.</span>6</span>,<span class="bibl">38</span>, <span class="bibl">Arr.<span class="title">An.</span>7.9.2</span>, etc.; properly, <b class="b2">of goatskin</b>, opp. <b class="b3">μηλωτή</b>, <span class="bibl">Ammon.<span class="title">Diff.</span>p.44</span> V. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">2</span> <b class="b2">wallet, bag</b>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">An.</span>5.2.12</span>, <span class="bibl">Lib.<span class="title">Or.</span>58.5</span>. </span><span class="sense">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bld">3</span> pl., <b class="b2">skins used as tents</b>, <span class="bibl">X.<span class="title">An.</span> 1.5.10</span>, <span class="bibl">Phylarch.41</span> J.</span>

|etymtx=Grammatical information: f.<br />Meaning: <b class="b2">prepared skin, hide, leather</b>, also leather objects (Ion.-Att.);<br />Dialectal forms: Myc. [[diptera]] (<b class="b2">diptera₃</b>) [[leather]] \/[[diphthera]]\/; [[dipteraporo]] \/<b class="b2">diphthera-phoros</b>?\/<br />Derivatives: Diminut. <b class="b3">διφθέριον</b> (Theognost.); <b class="b3">διφθερίς</b> = <b class="b3">διφθέρα</b> (AP); <b class="b3">διφθέρωμα</b> <b class="b2">id.</b> (Thd.;); <b class="b3">διφθερίας</b> <b class="b2">man in leathern jerkin, landmann etc.</b> (Com.; Chantraine 93); f. <b class="b3">διφθερῖτις</b> (Poll.; Redard Les noms grecs en <b class="b3">-της</b> 114); <b class="b3">διφθεράριος</b> [[pergamentmaker]] (Edict. Diocl. Asin.); <b class="b3">διφθέρινος</b> <b class="b2">made of δ., leathern</b> (X.). - Denomin. <b class="b3">διφθερόομαι</b> <b class="b2">be dressed in hides</b> (Str.). Note <b class="b3">διψάρα δέλτος</b>, <b class="b3">οἱ δε διφθέρα</b> H. (cf Schwyzer 326).<br />Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]<br />Etymology: To <b class="b3">δέφω</b>, <b class="b3">δέψω</b> (de Saussure MSL 7, 91). <b class="b3">ε</b>\/<b class="b3">ι</b> is frequent in Pre-Greek (there was no phoneme [[e]]). <b class="b3">δίψαρα</b> shows typical Pre-Greek variation. Fur. 308, 326. - On Iranian LW [loanword] from <b class="b3">διφθέρα</b>, i.e. NPers. [[daftar]] [[office]], s. Bailey, Trans. Phil. Soc. 1933, 50. From here Lat. [[littera]], perhaps via Etruscan (cf. <b class="b3">διφθεραλοιφός γραμματοδιδάσκαλος παρὰ Κυπρίοις Η</b>.)