- νέποδες
- νέποδεςGrammatical information: pl.Meaning: in νέποδες καλῆς Άλοσύδνης as designation of the φῶκαι, the seals (δ 404); by later poets differently interpreted: as 'ἀπόγονοι, descendants' (Theoc. 17, 25, Call. Fr. 77; also Eust. 1502, 36); as 'νηξίποδες, swim-feeter' (H.), referred to fishes (Call. Fr. 260, Nic., AP), as 'ἄποδες, feetless' (Apion ap. Apollon. Lex.).Origin: XX [etym. unknown]Etymology: Meaning uncertain, so etymologically unclear. For `with swim-feet' Brugmann IF 20, 218ff. supposing an original *νέτ-ποδες (to νότος; s.v. and νέω) or *νεπέ-ποδες to Skt. snapáyati `swim', which however is a purely Indian formation and therefore must be given up. Against `footless', except objective reasons, pleads the fact that Greek has no wordnegation *νε- `not-, un-'. The objective acceptable interpretation as 'ἀπόγονοι' identifies νέποδες wit Lat. nepōtes = Skt. nápātaḥ pl. `grandchild'; the word would have been adapted to the inflexion of πούς, older πώς : ποδός (Curtius 266f., Kretschmer Glotta 28, 266 f., Wackernagel Syntax 2,252). Cf. on the interpretations Pariente Emer. 11, 107ff.Page in Frisk: 2,
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.