κάπτω

Forms

κᾰ́πτω (káptō) ^[1]

Etymology

It probably continues inherited from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p- (“to grasp, snap”), as a zero-grade present with the suffix *-yé-.^[2][3][1] In form it may be identical with Latin capiō (“to take”) and the Germanic verb for “to raise”, but in use and meaning it is closer to German happen (“to snap, swallow”) and Dutch happen (“to snap”).^[3][4]

The Homeric noun κάπη (kápē, “manger”) is rather an old formation from the same root than a derivative of κάπτω.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest passages LSJ cites are in Aristophanes, where birds gulp down gnats (Birds 245), and in Sophron's mimes.^[5][6] Beekes lists Herodotus among its first authors.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It was a word of greedy eating, stronger than φαγεῖν (phageîn), as Aristophanes uses it in the Assemblywomen (687).^[5] Aristotle uses it of animals that gulp liquids, saying that the bear neither sips nor laps but gulps.^[5][7] Herodas has a figurative use: the ashes will swallow up one's youth.^[5] Its derivatives include κάψις (kápsis, “gulping”) and κάμματα (kámmata), sacrificial cakes that were gulped down.^[3][4]

The sources disagree about its later history: Chantraine says the old word disappeared from Modern Greek, while Wiktionary derives Modern Greek χάφτω (cháfto) and χάβω (chávo) from it.^[4][1]

Timeline

• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it of birds gulping gnats, in the Birds.^[5][6][8]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of animals gulping liquids.^[5][8]
• 3rd century BC – Herodas uses it figuratively of ashes swallowing up youth.^[5][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To gulp down, gobble up food.^[5][9] (Of birds) to snap up insects.^[5][9]
2. To gulp liquids or air.^[5]
3. (figurative) To swallow up, consume.^[5]

Word family

• κάψις (kápsis)
• ἀνακάπτω (anakáptō)

Related words

• κάπη (kápē)
• Latin capiō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
3. ^ a b c d e Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
8. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
9. ^ a b Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press