στέφω

στέφω, -ομαι

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `to surround closely, to enclose tightly, to encase, to wreathe, to honour (with libations)' (for it, esp in prose, often στεφανόω).

Other forms: Aor. στέψαι, -ασθαι (Il.), pass. στεφθῆναι, fut. στέψω, -ομαι, perf. ἔστεμμαι (IA.; ἐστεθμένος Miletos VI^a; cf. στέθματα below).

Compounds: Also w. περι-, ἐπι-, κατα- a.o. As 2. member a.o. in χρυσο-στεφής `consisting of a golden garland' (S.), but most verbal, e.g. καταστεφ-ής `wreathed' (: κατα-στέφω, S., A. R.).

Derivatives: 1. στέφος n. `wreath, garland' (Emp., trag., late prose), metaph. `honouring libation' (A. Oh. 95); 2. στέμμα, most pl. -ατα n. `band, wreath' (Il.), also as ornament of Rom. figures or ancestors, `family tree' (Plu., Sen., Plin.), `guild' (late inscr.) with -ματίας surn. of Apollon (Paus.), -ματιαῖον meaning uncertain (H., AB), -ματόω `to wreathe' (E.); on the byform στέθματα τὰ στέμματα H. s. Schwyzer 317 Zus. 1 (w. lit.). 3. στέψις f. `the wreathing' (pap. III<sup>p</sup>). 4. στεπτικόν n. `wreath-money, -toll' (pap. III^p). 5. στεπτήρια στέμματα, α οἱ ἱέται ἐκ τῶν κλάδων ἐξῆπτον H.; Στεπτήριον n. name of a Delphic feast (Plu.). 6. στεφών m. `summit' (Ephesos III<sup>a</sup>), = ὑψηλός, ἀπόκρημνος H.; after κολοφών a.o. -- 7. στεφάνη f. `fillet, edge of a helmet' also `helmet' (Trümpy Fachausdrücke 43. also Hainsworth JHSt. 78, 52), `edge of a rock, wall-pinnacle' (esp. ep. poet. Il., also hell. a. late prose). 8. στέφανος m. `wreath, frame, wreath of victory or honour, honour' (since Ν 736) with several derivv.: -ιον, -ίσκος, -ίς, -ικός, -ιαῖος. -ίτης, -ιτικός, -ίζω, -ίξαι; esp. -όομαι, -όω, also w. περι- a.o., `to form a wreath, to wreathe, to crown, to decorate, to honour' (Il.), from where -ωμα, -ωματικός, -ωσις, -ωτής. -ωτίς and -ωτρίς (Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 164), -ωτικός.

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: As the basic meaning of στέφω, from which all other formations ar serived, clearly is `closely, fest surrounded, enclosed', there is no reason not to connect, Skt. stabhnā́ti, perf. tastámbha `make fest, hold fest, support, stiffen, stem', as already appears from πύκα `close, fest', πυκάζω `make fest, enclose narrowly', ἄμ-πυξ (and Av. pusā) `band of the forehead, diadem' [but see s.v.]. Of the many further representatives of this great and difficult to limit wordgroup may only still be mentioned Skt. stambha- m. `making fest, stem, support, post, pillar', Lith. stam̃bas `stump, stalk of a plant', Latv. stabs `pillar', Germ. e.g. OHG stabēn `be fixed, stiff' (Eastfris. staf `stiff, lame'), OWNo. stefja `stem', OHG stab, OWNo. stafr `staff'; IE *stebh-, stembh- (WP. 2, 623ff., Pok. 1011 ff.). -- As Skt. stambha- can also mean `bumptiousness, pretentious being', the question has arisen, whether also στόμφος `bombastic, highflown speech' belongs here; cf. on στέμβω. With stabhnā́ti etc. are often connected στέμβω [wrongly, s.v.], ἀστεμφής etc. assuming a meaning complex `press, stamp, stem, support, post etc.' (s. WP. and Pok. l. c.), a combination, which goes beyond what can be proven. -- Diff. on στέφω, στέφανος Lidén Streitberg-Festgabe 224ff.: to NPers. tāǰ `corona, diadema regium', Arm. t`ag `id.', ev. also to Osset. multiplicative suffix -daɣ (W. Oss. dudaɣ) with a basic meaning `wind, wrap, fold'; would be IE *(s)tegʷʰ-. == Frisk's discussion is completely dated. It is hampered by Pok. 1011, where (*stebh-. *stembh- and *step- are conbined; this is impossible in IE, so the grouping can best be completely dismissed (presence beside absence of a nasal is impossible, as is bh\/b\/p.) Skt. stabhná̄ti has a root *stembhH-\/*stm̥bhH-, which cannot give Gr. στεφ-, not στεμβ-. It might be found in ἀστεμφής. = σταφυλή and στέμφυλον are a Pre-Greek group and have nothing to do with IE. = The argumentation around ἄμπυξ (s.v.) can better be abandoned. = For στέφω one expects *stebh- (without nasal), but no such root has been found; the Geranic words for `staff (Stab)' have a quite diff. meaning. = So στέφω has no etym.

Page in Frisk: 2,794-795