σφίγγω

Forms

σφῐ́γγω (sphíngō) ^[1]

Etymology

Beekes considers it possibly Pre-Greek, because the forms without a nasal, such as ἔσφιγμαι (ésphigmai), σφίγμα (sphígma) and ἀπόσφιξις (apósphixis), may show the variation of a prenasalised consonant.^[2][3] Chantraine instead takes the nasal of σφίγγω as an expressive one and the forms without it as secondary, and he finds no etymology.^[4][5] The LIV tentatively sets up Proto-Indo-European *spʰei̯g- (“to lace up”), with the Greek verb as a nasal-infix present and Latvian and Germanic relatives.^[6]

The name of the Sphinx, Σφίγξ (Sphínx), was connected with σφίγγω only by folk etymology, according to Chantraine.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Empedocles, of the aether binding everything round in a circle, and in Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, where it is an order to bind tighter.^[7][8][2]

Semantic evolution

Plato uses it of the circular motion that holds all things together, and the pseudo-Aristotelian On the World says the ocean binds the inhabited earth.^[7][8] In Theocritus the sheaf-binders are told to tie the sheaves tight.^[7][8] Medical writers use it of astringents and firm flesh, and Plutarch of compressing one's style.^[7]

The Latin spinter (“bracelet”) and spintria (“male prostitute”) were borrowed from this verb.^[2] The Coptic loanword ⲥⲫⲓⲅⲅⲱ (sphingō) is recorded in Sahidic.^[9]

Modern Greek σφίγγω (sfíngo) is one of the common verbs of Modern Greek: to grip, squeeze, tighten and pinch.^[10][5] Its derivatives include Modern Greek σφιχτός (sfichtós, “tight”), from Hellenistic σφιγκτός (sphinktós), and Modern Greek σφιγκτήρας (sfinktíras, “sphincter”).^[11]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound uses it of binding fast.^[7][11][12]
• 5th century BC – Empedocles uses it of the aether that holds all things together.^[7][12]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of the circular motion that holds everything together.^[7][8][12]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Theocritus uses it of tying sheaves.^[7][12]
• 2nd century AD – Galen uses it of astringents.^[7][12]
• Modern Greek – It is the everyday verb for squeezing and tightening.^[10][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To bind tight, bind fast: a person, sheaves, hair; to shut close.^[7][8]
2. To tie something fast round something else, as a band or a fetter.^[7]
3. To bind or hold together, of the aether, the ocean, circular motion.^[7][8]
4. To tie up in a bundle.^[7]
5. (medicine) To tighten up, make firm; of astringents.^[7]
6. To press together, and of style, to compress or abridge.^[7]

Word family

• ἐπισφίγγω (episphíngō)
• σφιγκτήρ (sphinktḗr)
• σφιγκτός (sphinktós)
• σφίγμα (sphígma)
• σφίγξις (sphínxis)
• ὑποσφίγγω (huposphíngō)

Related words

• Latin spinter

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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
3. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2014), Pre-Greek: Phonology, Morphology, Lexicon, ed. Stefan Norbruis, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b 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 Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
6. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c d e f Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ Database and Dictionary of Greek Loanwords in Coptic (DDGLC), Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Leipzig
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
12. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge