Νήπια

infants

Translated by Ronald Allen29 Aug 2009Vetting: high4 revisions

2 notes · 39 words
[Meaning] newborn babes.1
From the privative [sc. prefix] ne- and the [noun] e)/pos ["word"], [thus meaning] those not yet able to speak. Or from the intensive ne- and the [adjective] h)/pion ["gentle"], [thus meaning] those which are unnecessarily gentle.2

Greek original · Adler’s text

Νήπια· τὰ βρέφη. παρὰ τὸ νη στερητικὸν καὶ τὸ ἔπος, τὰ μήπω λέγειν δυνάμενα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ νη ἐπιτατικὸν καὶ τὸ ἤπιον, τὰ παρὰ τὸ δέον ἤπια.

Betacode
*nh/pia: ta\ bre/fh. para\ to\ nh sterhtiko\n kai\ to\ e)/pos, ta\ mh/pw le/gein duna/mena. h)\ para\ to\ nh e)pitatiko\n kai\ to\ h)/pion, ta\ para\ to\ de/on h)/pia.

Notes (2)

  1. The headword is a neuter adjective in the nominative/vocative/accusative plural; see LSJ s.v. nh/pios, -a, -on. It is evidently extracted from somewhere, probably Homer, Iliad 2.136 (web address 1); Hesychius s.v. nh/pia references this verse.
  2. 1The gloss is a neuter noun in the nominative, vocative, and accusative plural; see LSJ s.v. bre/fos, -eos, to/ (babe in the womb, new-born babe) and Hesychius s.v. bre/fos. ↩
  3. 2For the first note, on the privative prefix form, see Orion [Author, Myth], Etymologicum 108.11. Both etymologies are covered by Etymologicum Magnum 604.15-21. [In her critical apparatus, Adler notes that mss AFV omit this part of the entry, and ms M places it in the margin.] ↩

External resources

Linked from1 entry

Neighbouring entries

ν321Νηπενθέςgrief-banishingν322Νήπειον φρόνημα Νηπίαchildish mind, childish pride, childish thinkingν323Νήπιαinfantsν324Νηπιέηchildhood, childishnessν325Νήπιοςfool, foolish
Revision history4 revisions · last 6 Nov 2020
  1. tweaked link — Catharine Roth
  2. Revised — David Whitehead
  3. tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
  4. tweaks — Catharine Roth
  5. Translated — Ronald Allen

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