φορβή

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *pʰorgʷā́ and cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀡𐀣 (po-qa /⁠pʰorgʷā⁠/); equivalent to φέρβω (phérbō, “to feed”) +‎ -η (-ē, abstract noun suffix). The first element is of unknown origin; Beekes calls it an agricultural word, which could imply a substrate source.^[1] Another suggestion is Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʷ- (“to feed”).^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰor.bɛ̌ː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pʰorˈbe̝/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɸorˈβi/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /forˈvi/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /forˈvi/

Noun

φορβή • (phorbḗ) f (genitive φορβῆς); first declension (Homeric)

(Homeric) forage, fodder, food, booty

Inflection

First declension of φορβή; φορβῆς (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	φορβή phorbḗ	φορβᾱ́ phorbā́	φορβαί phorbaí
Genitive	φορβῆς phorbês	φορβαῖν / φορβαῖῐν / φορβῇῐν phorbaî(ĭ)n / phorbēîĭn	φορβᾱ́ων / φορβέ͜ων / φορβῶν phorbā́ōn / phorbé͜ōn / phorbôn
Dative	φορβῇ phorbēî	φορβαῖν / φορβαῖῐν / φορβῇῐν phorbaî(ĭ)n / phorbēîĭn	φορβῇς / φορβῇσῐ / φορβῇσῐν / φορβαῖς phorbēîs / phorbēîsĭ(n) / phorbaîs
Accusative	φορβήν phorbḗn	φορβᾱ́ phorbā́	φορβᾱ́ς phorbā́s
Vocative	φορβή phorbḗ	φορβᾱ́ phorbā́	φορβαί phorbaí
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Related terms

εὔφορβος (eúphorbos), Εὔφορβος (Eúphorbos)
ἱπποφορβός (hippophorbós)

Descendants

→? Latin: forbea (from unattested *φορβέᾱ (*phorbéā)?)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “φέρβω, -ομαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1561-2
^ Weiss, Michael (2018), “Limited Latin Grassmann's Law: Do We Need It?”, in Dieter Gunkel, Stephanie W. Jamison, Angelo O. Mercado and Kazuhiko Yoshida, editors, Vina Diem Celebrent: Studies in Linguistics and Philology in Honor of Brent Vine‎^[1], Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press, page 440 of 438–447

“φορβή”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“φορβή”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
φορβή in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
“φορβή”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[2], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- booty idem, page 89.
- food idem, page 333.
- prey idem, page 639.

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “φέρβω, -ομαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1561-2

[2] Weiss, Michael (2018), “Limited Latin Grassmann's Law: Do We Need It?”, in Dieter Gunkel, Stephanie W. Jamison, Angelo O. Mercado and Kazuhiko Yoshida, editors, Vina Diem Celebrent: Studies in Linguistics and Philology in Honor of Brent Vine‎^[1], Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press, page 440 of 438–447

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