πυκν-ότης

Grammatical information: Adv.

Meaning: `dense, solid', metaph. `careful, sensible' (Hom.).

Derivatives: Beside it πυκάζω, Dor. - άσδω (Theoc.), aor. πυκά-σ(σ)αι, pass. - σθῆναι, perf. midd. πεπύκασμαι, quite rarely with περι- a.o., `to tighten, to enclose tightly, to encase compactly, to cover' (ep. poet., late prose) with πύκασμα n. `encased, covered object' (Sm.). Adj. πυκνός, ep. lyr. also πυκινός, `dense, solid, compacted, numerous, strong, brave, clever' (Il.), often as 1. member, e.g. πυκνό-σαρκος `with solid flesh' (Hp., Arist.). From it πυκν-ότης f. `density, closeness etc.' (IA.), - άκις = πολλάκις (Arist.), - όω `to make dense, to tighten etc.' (IA.) with - ωμα, - ωσις, - ωτικός; - άζω `to be numerous' (EM, Gloss.). As 1. member πυκι- in πυκι-μηδής (- μήδης) = μήδεα πυκνά (Γ 202, 208) ἔχων, `with close mind, considerate, sensible' (α 438, h. Cer., Q. S.; Bechtel Lex. s.v.). -- On ἄμπυξ s. v.

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: The forms πύκα: πυκνός: πυκι-μηδής form a system; with πύκα: πυκνός cf. esp. the in meaning close θαμά: θάμνος (s. vv.). To this πυκινός (after πυκι-μηδής?) like (he analog. built?) θαμινός, ἁδινός a.o. (Schwyzer 490). To be rejected Szemerényi Syncope in Greek and I.-Eur. 82 ff., 87 ff. (also on the etymology): πυκνός, θάμνος from πυκινός, *θάμυνος syncopated. The further analysis is hypothetic. The pair of words that certainly belong together ἄμ-πυξ: Av. pus-ā `diadem' [but see my doubts s.v.], which agrees with πρόσ-φυξ: φυγ-η, points to a primary verb IE *puḱ- `fasten etc.' (WP. 2, 82, Pok. 849), which in Greek was replaced by πυκάζω. As denominative of πύκα without doubt explainable (Schwyzer 734), πυκάζω because of the very limited use of πύκα can as well be understood as a formal enlargement of the older primary present. -- Against adducing Alb. puth `I kiss', puthtohem `clothe myself narrow, string myself, embrace' (since G. Meyer Alb. Wb. 356) Szemerényi l.c. Toch. A puk `all, complete, every' remains far already because the B-form po; cf. v. Windekens Lex. étym. s.v. -- The evidence for IE *puḱ- (Pok. 849) is very meagre; Furnée 317 assumes that πυκνός etc. is Pre-Greek, but on quite meagre evidence.

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