βόλβιτον
Ἀδώνι' ἄγομεν καὶ τὸν Ἄδωνιν κλᾴομεν → We conduct the rites of Adonis, we weep for Adonis (Pherecrates, fr. 170)
English (LSJ)
τό, or βόλβῐτος, ὁ, Thphr.HP5.5.3, Dsc.2.167, Archig. ap. Gal.12.173, worse forms of βόλιτον, -τος, acc. to Phryn.335.
German (Pape)
[Seite 452] u. βόλβιτος, Sp. für das att. βόλιτον.
Greek (Liddell-Scott)
βόλβῐτον: τό, βόλβῐτος, ὁ, τύποι ἧττον δόκιμοι τοῦ βόλιτον, -τος, Φρύν. 357.
French (Bailly abrégé)
ου (τό) :
fiente de vache, bouse.
Étymologie: koinè c. βόλιτον -- DELG -.
Spanish (DGE)
-ου, τό
• Alolema(s): βόλβιθος, ὁ PMag.4.1439; βόλβυθον Hsch.; βόβλιτον Eust.1404.64
boñiga, estiércol gener. de ganado vacuno usado c. fines medicinales, Hp.Loc.Hom.47, Nat.Mul.34, Archig. en Gal.13.173, cf. 14.366, Hsch., como abono, Thphr.HP 5.5.6, Dsc.2.167, como combustible SB 12695.28 (II d.C.)
•excremento humano ἐν βολβίτοις κόπρου ἀνθρωπίνης LXX Ez.4.12, cf. 15, prob. Hippon.95.9, 138; cf. βόλιτον.
Frisk Etymological English
Grammatical information: n.
Meaning: cow-dung; (s. Rohlfs ByzZ 37, 54f.);
Other forms: -ος m. (Thphr.), βόλβιθος (PMag. Par.; after σπύραθος, σπέλεθος ?, s. Chantr. Form. 367); also βόλιτον, -ος (Cratin.); βόλβιτα ἀφόδευμα βοός H. (i.e. βόλβις), βόλβυθον τὸ αὐτό H.
Derivatives: βολίτινος (Ar.); βολίταινα cuttle fish, which smells badly (Arist.), also βολβίτιον (Gal.) and βολβίς (Epich.).
Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]
Etymology: "The usual assumption that βόλιτον arose from βόλβιτον through progressive dissimilation, is hardly convincing" (Frisk). But that βόλβιτον is euphemistical through the influence of βολβός (Frisk) is not very convincing either. To derive βόλιτον from βάλλω, βόλος, and βολεών Düngerhaufen leaves the formation unexplained. It is much more natural to assume variation in a Pre-Greek word, which is confirmed by the fact that the suffix -ιτον is known from there (Fur. 163; further 180, 187; further the θ and the υ are typical variations. I wonder whether the variation β\/zero, to which Furnée devotes a chapter, derived from a labial [l]: *balʷ-it-, on which see αὖλαξ and Beekes, Pre-Greek. - The discussions in Frisk and DELG are examples of the wrong approach of Pre-Greek words: explaining away the characteristics of Pre-Greek.
