ἀφύη Ancient Greek · revision 3265

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|attested=5th century BC, Epicharmus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /a.pʰý.ɛː/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /aˈɸy.i/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /aˈfy.i/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ᾰ̓φῠ́η''' (aphúē) ''f'' (genitive ᾰ̓φῠ́ης); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The origin is disputed.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) An old explanation takes it as the privative prefix with [[φύω|tr=phúō|t=to grow]], “not grown”, like the fish name “nonnats” used in Nice.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) Frisk regarded this as folk etymology, but Meier-Brügger defended it, reconstructing [[ine-pro|*n̥-bʰuh₂-]] “without growth”, a recent formation beside [[sa|अभ्व|tr=ábhva-|t=monster]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(NIL 2008)^(Wiktionary) The accent of the genitive plural, ⟨ἀφύων⟩ and not ⟨ἀφυῶν⟩, points to an old stem in ''-ῡ-''.^(Beekes 2010) Chantraine kept open the possibility of a substrate word.^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary) Bechtel's idea that the fish were named from their whitish colour is wrong, since the words for “whitish” are derived from ἀφύη.^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The comic poet Epicharmus names it among small fish, and Aristophanes' ''Acharnians'' and ''Knights'' make jokes about its price.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was the name of the small fry of several fishes, such as anchovies, gobies and young sprats, sold cheaply and fried; the Phaleric kind was thought the best.^(DGE)^(LSJ 1940) Aristotle believed the fry sprang from sea foam, and Aelian from mud.^(DGE) In Attic it was used only in the plural, according to Hesychius.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ A proverb, “the fry has seen the fire”, meant something done no sooner than said, since such fish cook at once.^(LSJ 1940) It was also the nickname of a courtesan.^(LSJ 1940) Latin borrowed it as [[m|la|aphyē]], and Apicius has dishes of ''apua''.^(Wiktionary)^(DGE)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 5th century BC – Epicharmus and Aristophanes name it as a cheap fish.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 4th century BC – Aristotle describes it as springing from sea foam.^(DGE)

+ * 2nd–3rd century AD – Athenaeus discusses its kinds.^(DGE)^(LSJ 1940)

+ * 5th century AD (probably) – Hesychius notes that Attic used the word only in the plural.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Small [[m|en|fry]] of various fishes, such as [[m|en|anchovy|alt=anchovies]] and [[m|en|goby|alt=gobies]], eaten fried.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ # The nickname of a [[m|en|courtesan]].^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[φύω|tr=phúō]]

+ * [[la|aphye]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}