βιδυιοι

βιδυ(ι)οι

Grammatical information: m.pl.

Meaning: `overseer', designation of Spartan officials, overseeing the male youth (Laconia, Messenia [II^a], Paus.).

Other forms: also βιδεοι; Pausanias' βιδαιοι is wrong

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [1125] *ueid- `see'

Etymology: From *Ϝιδυσ-ι̯οι, i. e. the zero grade of the perf. ptc. εἰδώς; cf. Hom. Ϝιδυῖα (s. οἶδα). Cf. the Myc. name widowoijo. Further Att. ἰδῦ(ῖ)οι συνίστορες, μάρτυρες (Solon ap. Ar. fr. 222); and ἰδυῖοι ...οἱ τὰς φονικὰς δίκας κρὶνοντες H. - The form with -ε- is not well explained, s. Bechtel, Gr. Dial. 2, 355ff. On βι-, βει- cf. Bourguet, Laconien 97 n. 3. A parallel formation was seen in βέβαιος, hardly correctly.

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