νέποδες: Difference between revisions

|etymtx=Grammatical information: pl.<br />Meaning: in <b class="b3">νέποδες καλῆς Ἀλοσύδνης</b> <b class="b2">as designation of the φῶκαι, the seals</b> (δ 404); by later poets differently interpreted: as <b class="b2">'ἀπόγονοι, descendants</b> (Theoc. 17, 25, Call. Fr. 77; also Eust. 1502, 36); as <b class="b2">'νηξίποδες, swim-feeter</b> (H.), referred to fishes (Call. Fr. 260, Nic., AP), as <b class="b2">'ἄποδες, feetless</b> (Apion ap. Apollon. Lex.).<br />Origin: XX [etym. unknown]<br />Etymology: Meaning uncertain, so etymologically unclear. For <b class="b2">with swim-feet</b> Brugmann IF 20, 218ff. supposing an original <b class="b3">*νέτ-ποδες</b> (to <b class="b3">νότος</b>; s.v. and <b class="b3">νέω</b>) or <b class="b3">*νεπέ-ποδες</b> to Skt. <b class="b2">snapáyati</b> [[swim]], which however is a purely Indian formation and therefore must be given up. Against [[footless]], except objective reasons, pleads the fact that Greek has no wordnegation <b class="b3">*νε-</b> <b class="b2">not-, un-</b>. The objective acceptable interpretation as <b class="b3">ἀπόγονοι</b>' identifies <b class="b3">νέποδες</b> wit Lat. [[nepōtes]] = Skt. <b class="b2">nápātaḥ</b> pl. [[grandchild]]; the word would have been adapted to the inflexion of <b class="b3">πούς</b>, older <b class="b3">πώς</b> : <b class="b3">ποδός</b> (Curtius 266f., Kretschmer Glotta 28, 266 f., Wackernagel Syntax 2,252). Cf. on the interpretations Pariente Emer. 11, 107ff.