σπείρω

σπείρω

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `to sow, to seed', also (esp. w. prefix) `to spread, to scatter, to distribute'.

Other forms: Aor. σπεῖραι, fut. σπερῶ, aor. pass. σπαρ-ῆναι, fut. -ήσομαι, perf. midd. ἔσπαρμαι (IA), act. ἔσπαρκα (late.).

Dialectal forms: Myc. pemo, pema.

Compounds: often w. prefix, e.g. δια-, κατα-.

Derivatives: A. With full grade: 1. σπέρμα n. `seed, sowing, stem, sprout' ( ε 490); as 1. member also with transition in the o-stems, e.g. σπερμο-λόγος "picking up corn", `rook' (Ar., Arist. etc.; Schmid Phil. 95, 82), `chatterbox' (D. etc., MLat. spermologus; Silvestre Arch. Lat. Med. Aevi 30, 155 ff.). From it σπερ-μάτιον n. dimin. (Thphr. a. o.), -ματίας (σικυός) m. `seed bearer' (Cratin.), -ματίτης, -ματῖτις `bearing, bringing forth seed' (late; Redard 102), -ματικός `to hold, to bring forth seed' (Arist. etc.), -ματώδης `seed-like' (late); -μαίνω `to sow, to bring forth' (Hes., Call., Plu. a. o.), -ματίζω `to sow, to bear seed', -ματίζομαι `to be sown, pregnant' with -ματισμός m. (LXX, Thphr.), -ματόομαι `to come to seed' (Thphr.) with -μάτωσις (Phan. Hist.). -- 2. σπέραδος n. = σπέρμα (Nic.; like χέραδος). -- B. With o-ablaut: 1. σπόρος m. `seed, sowing' (Att.) with -ιμος `fit for sowing', τὰ -α `sowing fields' (X.. Thphr., LXX a. o.; Arbenz 46 a. 48). 2. σπορά f. `sowing, seed, procreation, descent' (Trag., Pl., Thphr. a. o.) with -αῖος `sown' (Babr.); often to the prefixcompp., e.g. διασπορά f. `dispersal, exile' (LXX, Ph., Plu. a. o.). 3. From σπόρος or σπορά: ὁμό-σπορος `of the same seed, kindred' (poet. h. Cer.); σπορ-εύς (κατα-. δια-) m. `sower, begetter' (X., pap. a.o.; Bosshardt 53). 4. σπορητός m. `sowing, seed' (A., X., Thphr.; after ἀλοητός, ἄμητος a. o.; not with Bosshardt l. c. from *σπορέω). 5. σποράς, -άδος `dispersed' (IA.), αἱ Σποράδες group of islands, with -άδην `dispersed' (Att. etc.), -αδικός `id.' (Arist.), -άσαι aor. `to disperse' (inscr.). 6. ἐπισπορ-ίη f. `after-seed, second seed' (Hes.; ἐπίσπορος A.), περισπόρ-ια n. pl. `suburbs' (LXX). -- C. With zero grade: 1. σπαρ-τός `sown' (A. a. o.); οἱ Σπαρτοί m.. pl. "the sown ones", of the dragonseed of Kadmos (Pi. a.o.); 2. σπαρνός (s. v.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [993] *sper- `strew, sow, sprinkle'

Etymology: As agricultural term for sowing σπείρω belongs exclusively to Greek. In the west, including Balto-Slavic, appear for it representatives of sē- : sh₁- (Lat. sēmen etc.); s. Ernout-Meillet and W.-Hofmann s. 1. serō (cf. also above on ἵημι). Also in the supposedly older meaning `strew' the other languages provide nothing, that can be identified with σπείρω. Nearest cognate Armenian has in sp'iṙ `strews' with sp`r̄em `spread out' and in p`arat `spread out, separated' with p`aratem `spread out, remove' words which, not to speak of the "rolling" r̄ and the vowel (IE ē or i) in sp`iṙ , in anlaut (IE (s)ph-?) differ from σπείρω. Arm. spar̄nam `threaten' (Meillet BSL 31, 52) differs semantically strongly. The last word leads to the s. σπαίρω adduced Skt. sphuráti, Lat. spernō etc. Thus we retain two IE groups sp(h)er- with the general meaning `strew, sprinkle, spatter' resp. `draw out, kick with the foot, sprawl, (Gm.) hurry', which, cannot well be distinguished and as popular-expressive expressions may have formed the starting point for σπείρω". Cf. the lit. on σπαίρω. -- Hitt. išpar-iya-zi (beside išpar-i) `he folds out, stretches out', wit σπείρω formally comparable, gives some doubts (Benveniste BSL 33, 139).

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