σάπφειρος Ancient Greek · revision 2335

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=4th–3rd century BC, Theophrastus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /sápʰ.pʰeː.ros/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈsap.ɸi.ros/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈsap.fi.ros/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''σᾰ́πφειρος''' (sáppheiros) ''f'' (genitive σᾰπφείρου); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Medieval also σάμφειρος (8th–10th century) and σάφειρος, masculine.^(Kriaras)^(Πάπυρος)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is certainly related to a Semitic word, probably [[bor|he|סַפִּיר|tr=sappîr]] or a similar West Semitic form.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Rosół 2013)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary traces this further to [[akk|šipirtu|t=lapis lazuli]].^(Wiktionary) Beekes notes that the Semitic word was probably itself borrowed, and that the -πφ- and -ειρος of the Greek could point to Pre-Greek origin.^(Beekes 2010) LSJ and the OED also doubt that it is Semitic in the end.^(Beekes 2010)^(LSJ 1940)^(Etymonline) A link with Sanskrit śanipriya-, a dark stone, is very doubtful.^(Frisk 1960)^(Πάπυρος)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Theophrastus, in his work on stones, describes two kinds, a blue one and a “golden” one.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In antiquity the stone was [[m|en|lapis lazuli]], not the modern sapphire.^(LSJ 1940)^(Frisk 1960)^(Πάπυρος) The Septuagint uses it for Hebrew sappîr, and Josephus mentions it.^(Rosół 2013)^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ Medieval writers list sapphires among the gems on an emperor's sword and in the decoration of churches.^(Kriaras) Through [[la|sapphirus]] it reached the European languages, as English [[m|en|sapphire]] (mid-13th century, through Old French saphir).^(Beekes 2010)^(Etymonline) Modern Greek has the learned [[m|el|σάπφειρος|tr=sápfiros]] and the everyday ζαφείρι.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)^(Kriaras)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 4th–3rd century BC – Theophrastus describes the stone.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)^(DGE)

+ * 8th–10th century – the form σάμφειρος.^(Kriaras)

+ * Mid-13th century – English ''sapphire''.^(Etymonline)

+ * Modern Greek – σάπφειρος (learned), ζαφείρι.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|lapis lazuli]].^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)

+ # ''(later)'' [[m|en|sapphire]].^(Kriaras)^(Πάπυρος)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[σαπφείρινος|tr=sappheírinos]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|sapphirus]]

+ * [[en|sapphire]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}