Κενεμβατεῖν

to step on a hole, to lack a solid foundation

Translated by Nick Nicholas28 Oct 2008Vetting: high2 revisions

8 words

[Meaning] to step on emptiness, to venture emptily.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Κενεμβατεῖν· εἰς κενὰ βαίνειν, κενὰ ἐπιχειρεῖν.

Betacode

*kenembatei=n: ei)s kena\ bai/nein, kena\ e)pixeirei=n.

Same or similar entry in other lexica; see the references at Photius kappa562 Theodoridis. The present headword reappears as a gloss in sigma 547 (q.v.).
The word is used literally by Plutarch (Flamininus 10), and figuratively by Lucian (Gallus 26). Its most frequent meaning was medical ("reach a cavity, e.g. with a lancet"), but that is not glossed here.