σκῑπων

σκῑ́πων, -ωνος

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `staff, stick', also `crutch' (Hdt. 4, 172, Cratin. [lyr.], Ar. [anap.], E. [anap.], Call., AP; Hp., Epid. IV^a);

Other forms: vv. ll. σκήπων (after σκῆπτρον ?), σκίμπων (after σκίμπτομαι?).

Compounds: As 1. member a. o. in ἀ-σκίπων `staffless' (AP).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Ion.-poet. word, built like κύφων, δόλων and other tool-names (Chantraine Form. 161f.) and except for the formation identical with Lat. scīpiō, -ōnis m. `staff (as sign of power and dignity like σκῆπτρον). The further similarity with σκηπάνιον, σκῆπτρον a. cogn. (s. σκήπτομαι) has since long been observed; on the hypothetic root or rootvariation skāp- (skā[i]p-) : skīp- see Solmsen Wortforsch 306ff. (now untenable). Further combinations with rich material and lit. in WP. 2, 545 a. 559ff., Pok. 922 a. 930ff. Acc. to usual supposition (Fick, Curtius, Solmsen etc.) here also as (denominative?) nasalpresent σκίμπτομαι (like σκήπτομαι to σκᾶπος); an other hypothesis s.v. One considers further the semant. not quite clear σκοῖπος ἡ ἐξοχη τῶν ξύλων, ἐφ' ὧν εἰσι οἱ κέραμοι H., prob. of the supporting beams, on which the tiles rest. -- A connection with σκῆπτρον etc. seems impossible (DELG refers to Benvenist Origines 167 and to Szemerényi Einf. in die vergl. Sprachwiss. 133). No idea what to think of the similarity of the Lat. form.

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