κικκ-)αβ

Grammatical information: exclam.

Meaning: natural sound of the screech-owl (Ar. Av. 261);

Derivatives: κικκάβη `screech-owl' (sch.) and κικκαβάζω `cry as an owl' (Ar. Lys. 761 coni. Dobree for κακκαβάζω, - βίζω). Further κικκάβη (gloss.), κίκυμος, - υβος (H.), κικυμωΐς (Call. Fr. 318), - ωνίς acc. to Latte `id.'; cf. Heubeck Würz. Jb. 1949-50, H. 2, 208ff. Note κικυμωνεῖν δυσβλεπτεῖν H. Further κὶκυμος λαμπτήρ η γλαυκός ὁμοίως καὶ κίκυβος.

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

Etymology: Onomatopoetic words, partly with expressive gemination (Schwyzer 315); on the β-suffix Chantraine Formation 261. Cf. κακκάβη and κίκιρρος; s. also κίκκαβος and κύμινδις; also W.-Hofmann s. cucubiō, the sound of the screech-owl. The words κικυβ\/ μος show the Pre-Greek interchange β\/μ; but Fur. 221 rejects κικκαβ\/μη as too late. Also Lat. cicuma `screecht-owl. I have no explanation of the interchange ( κικκ-)αβ\/μ- \/ ( κικ-)υβ\/μ-. The word is clearly Pre-Greek.

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