κάρφω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Apparently from a Proto-Indo-European *(s)krebʰ- (to wither, warp, stiffen), which Frisk considers sound-symbolic, with cognates in Balto-Slavic and Germanic including Russian коро́бить (koróbitʹ, to bend, warp), Lithuanian skrèbti (to get stiff), Old Norse skorpna (to writhe, wither). However, the consistent α-vocalism of the Greek words is problematic; based on this, Beekes derives the Greek word from Pre-Greek. It is still possible that the Balto-Slavic and Germanic terms are cognate with the Greek, whether via borrowing from a common substrate source, or via irregular sound changes from *(s)krebʰ- which are not particularly unusual for sound-symbolic roots, as Frisk notes.[1]

Pronunciation

 

Verb

κᾰ́ρφω • (kắrphō)

  1. to dry up, wither, shrivel

Inflection

Derived terms

  • κᾰρφᾰλέος (kărphăléos)
  • καρφαρεῖον (karphareîon)
  • κᾰρφεῖᾰ (kărpheîă)
  • κᾰρφηρός (kărphērós)
  • κᾰρφῐ́ον (kărphĭ́on)
  • κᾰρφῐσμός (kărphĭsmós)
  • κᾰρφῑ́της (kărphī́tēs)
  • κᾰρφοειδής (kărphoeidḗs)
  • κᾰρφολογέω (kărphologéō)
  • καρφομιγής (karphomigḗs)
  • καρφοπέταλον (karphopétalon)
  • κᾰ́ρφος (kắrphos)
  • κᾰρφώδης (kărphṓdēs)
  • καρφώνω (karphṓnō)
  • κᾰτᾰκᾰ́ρφω (kătăkắrphō)
  • ὑποκᾰ́ρφω (hupokắrphō)

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “κάρφω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 651-2

Further reading