βδε-

Grammatical information: adj.

Meaning: `disgusting, loathsome' (Ar.)

Derivatives: βδελύσσομαι (- ττ-), fut. βδελύξομαι `feel a loathing' (Hp.), act. - ύσσω, - ύττω (LXX) with βδελυγμία (Cratin.) etc. Vb. adj. βδελυκτός ( βδελύκτροπος from *βδελυκτο-τροπος A.). PN Βδελυ-κλέων (Ar.). βδελυχρός (Epich.)

Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]

Etymology: βδελυρός is mostly explained as formed from βδέ-ω with a λυ-suffix (as in θῆ-λυ-ς), but this is hardly possible. A verb in - εω does not give a stem in -ε to which suffixes can be added. Then, a suffix - λυ- probably does not exist: θῆλυς seems rather built on an λ-stem (DELG, Frisk); and - λυ- was certainly no longer productive (Chantr. Form. 121). Here an λ-suffix was seen in βδέλλων τρέμων η βδέων, βδέλεσθαι κοιλιολυτεῖν H. (forms which are doubted) and in βδόλος `stench' (Com. Adesp. 781; cf. γαλεόβδολον, s. γαλέη). But these form are as difficult: there was no stem βδε- to which a suffix could be added. Also, it seems not clear from the meaning that βδελυρός was derived from βδέω (in H. forms are often explained with μισέω): that later the verb influenced by the meaning is easy to understand. Therefore the word cannot be explained as a Greek formation. It then seems probable to analyse βδελ-υρ-, both components of which are prob. Pre-Greek: βδ- and the suffix - υρ- (s. Beekes, Pre-Greek).

Page in Frisk: 1,229-230