μεσ-όμφαλος

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `navel, navel string' (Il.), very often metaph. of navelformed elevations, `shield knob, yoke knob' (Il.), `center' (α 50).

Compounds: Compp., e.g. ὀμφαλη-τόμος f. `cutter of the navel string, midwife' (Hippon., Hp.; - η- rhythmic-analogical, Schwyzer 438 f.), μεσ-όμφαλος "in the middle of the navel", `in the center', esp. of Delphi and its oracle (trag.), also `with a navel (an elevation) in the center' (trag., com.); also with enlargement of the 2. member, e.g. ἐπ-ομφάλ-ιος `situated on the navel (the shield knob)' (H 267, Parth.; Schwyzer 451, Strömberg Prefix Studies 79), also `equipped with a navel' (AP 6, 22).

Derivatives: 1. Dimin. ὀμφάλιον n. (Arat., Nic.); 2. ὀμφαλίς f. `navel string' (Sor.); 3. ὀμφαλ-όεις `equipped with a ὀ. ' (Il.; cf. Trümpy Fachausdrücke 24 f.), - ωτός `id.' (Pherecr., Plb.), - ώδης 'ὀ.-like' (Arist.), - ιος `belonging to the ὀ.' (AP), - ικός `id.' (Phan. Hist.); 4. ὀμφαλιστήρ, - ῆρος m. `knife used for cutting the navel string' (Poll., H.; cf. on βραχιονιστήρ).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [314] * h₃enbh-, *h₃m̥bh-, * h₃nebh- `navel'

Etymology: Old word for `navel' with close agreements in Lat. umbil-īcus (prob. from * umbilus = ὀμφαλός), OIr. imbliu (PCelt. * imbilon-, IE *h₃m̥bh-); with this orig. athemat. l-stem (still in the Epirotic tribal name Ὄμφαλ-ος [gen. sg.], - ες [nom. pl.] retained?, s. Schwyzer 484 w. lit.) alternates an n-stem in Lat. umbō, - ōnis m. `boss of a shield', prob. also in a Westgerm. word for `belly, abdomen', OHG amban (sec. a-st.), -on m., OS (nom.) acc. pl. m. ambon, PGm. * amban-, IE * ombhon- (cf. on ὄμφαξ); on the l: n-variation cf. ἀγκάλη: ἀγκών. -- Beside these mainly western forms stand, primarily in the East, the in ablaut quite deviating Skt. nā́bhi- f. `navel, nave', OPr. nabis `id.', Latv. naba `navel', Germ., e.g. OHG naba f. `nave of a wheel', nabalo m. `navel' (l-suffix a in ὀμφαλός etc.), IE *h₃nĕbh-. Further forms w. lit. - and quite hypothetical combinations - in WP. 1, 130, Pok. 314 f., W.-Hofmann s. umbilīcus.

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