σκαφ-εύς

σκᾰφ-εύς, έως, ὁ, ([etym.] σκάπτω)

A digger, delver, E.El. 252, Archipp. 44, BGU 1538 ([place name] Ptolemaic), Arch.Pap.5.381 (i A.D.).

II = σκαφηφόρος, Com.Adesp.1144.

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `to dig, to dig out, to work the earth', κατα- σκάπτω `to inter, to bury', usu. `to demolish, to raze to the ground, to destroy' (h. Merc., Pi.).

Other forms: Aor. σκάψαι (IA.), fut. σκάψω, perf. ἔσκαφα, midd. ἔσκαμμαι (Att.), aor. pass. σκαφ-ῆναι (E., hell.), fut. - ήσομαι (J. a. o.),

Compounds: Often w. prefix, esp. κατα-.

Derivatives: Several derivv. (on the forms with φ cf. bel.): 1. σκάφη f. `winnow, bowl, trough, dish', also `ship' (IA.); σκάφος n. `hull of a ship', poet. also `ship' (IA.), rarely (as nom. act.) `the digging' (Hes. Op. 572, Gp.). 2. Diminut.: σκαφ-ίς, - ίδος f. `cup' (ι 223, Hp., Ar. a. o.), also `barge' and `spade' (hell. a. late); - ίον n. `bowl, cup' (com., hell. a. late), also as des. of a hair-dress (Ar., on the development of the meaning Solmsen Wortforsch. 203 ff. [disputable]), `barge' (Str., Hld.); - ίδιον n. `winnow, ship' (hell. a. late). 3. σκαφ-ίτης m. approx. `boatman' (Anon. ap. Demetr., Str.; Redard 44f.). 4. σκαφή f. `the digging' (hell. pap. a.o., Hdn. Gr. 1, 345), also `grave' (Bithynia; or σκάφη ?); often prefixcompp., esp. κατασκαφ-ή, often pl. - αί `tomb, demolition, destruction' (trag., also Att. prose); adj. κατασκαφ-ής `butied' (S.). 5. σκαφ-ιά f. `ditch, grave' (Halaesa I<sup>a</sup>). 6. σκαφ-εύς m. `digger' (E., Archipp., hell. a. late; rather directly from σκάπτω than with Bosshardt 40 from σκαφή), also (from σκάφη) `dish, σκαφηφόρος' ( Com. Adesp.); from σκάφη also σκαφ-εύω `to empty in a trough' (Ctes., Plu.) with - ευσις (Eun.); besides - ευσις, - εία f. `the digging' (Suid.), - εῖον n. `shovel', also `bowl, cup' (= - ίον; youngatt. hell.) with - είδιον (Hdn. Epim.), - ευτής = fossor (Gloss.). 7. σκαφ-ητός m. `the digging' (Thphr., hell. a. late inscr. a. o.; after ἀλοητός a. o.), - ητροι pl. `id.' (pap. I<sup>p</sup>); WestGr. (Delphi, Trozen a. o.) σκάπετος m. (Megara - πεδος; after δάπεδον, πέδον Solmsen Wortforsch. 196; not with Schwyzer 498 n. 13 "phonetical byform (play-)") `grave, tomb'; besides κάπετος `id.' (Il., Hp.), also `spade' (Gortyn)?, uncertain σκαπέτωσις `the digging' (Trozen). 8. σκαφαλος ἀντλητήρ H. (like πάσσαλος a.o.); λ-suffix also in σκαφλεύς = σκαφεύς (Athens IV<sup>a</sup>)?; Kumanudis Rev. de phil. 87, 99f. 9. σκαπ-άνη f. `shovel, spade' (Theoc., AP a. o.), also `excavation' (Thphr.), with - ανήτης m. `digger' (Zonar)., - ανεύς m. `id.' (Lyc., Phld., Str. a. o.; Bosshardt 68), - ανεύω `to dig up' (inscr. Magnesia [Epist. Darei], Phld. Rh.). 10. σκάμμα n. `the digging, ditch, place dug up' (Pl. Lg., hell. a. late). 11. περίσκαψις f. `the digging up' (pap. VI^p, Gp.). 12. σκαπτήρ, - ῆρος m. `digger' (Margites, X. ap. Poll.; Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 107; 2, 55, Benveniste Noms d'agent 39), f. - τειρα (AP). 13. PN Σκαπτη ὕλη (Thrace; Hdt. a. o.) with Σκαπτησυλικός (Att. inscr.), - ίτης m. (St. Byz.); on the formaytion Schwyzer 452.

Origin: LW [a loanword which is (probably) not of Pre-Greek origin] Eur. substr.X

Etymology: As common basis of the above forms, which show an analogically levelled system, can serve both σκαπ- (with analog. σκαφ- after θάπτω: τάφος, ταφῆναι a. o.) and σκαφ- (with partly phonetical partly anal. σκαπ-). In the first case Italic gives the nearest connection in the relik Lat. scapulae, Umbr. scapla (acc. sg.) `shoulder(blade)', if prop. `shovel' as primary nom. agentis (cf. σκάφαλος above). In the latter case σκάπτω agrees formally to a widespread word for `plane, scratch etc.' in Lat. scăbō, Germ., e.g. OHG scaban, Lith. skabiù ( = σκάπτω; beside this skobiù, skõbti) `scoop out with the chisel, scraper v.t.', to which also Slav., e.g. Russ. skóbelь `plane-iron' etc. (s. W.-Hofmann, Fraenkel and Vasmer s. vv. w. lit.). Also σκάφη, σκάφος a. o. fit better with `plane, scoop out' than with `dig' (Solmsen Wortforsch. 196 ff. w. extensive treatment), without possibility to draw a clear limit. -- If one removes the s- as "movable" and assumes a vocalic variation ē̆: ō̆: ā̆, the etymological field becomes very large. If one goes even a step further and beside ( s)ke \/ o \/ a + p \/ bh- also accepyts a variant skē̆ip \/ b-, and considers that not only the above final consonants, but classifies also the varying vowels as formants or enlargements, we arrive at the `ideal' root sek- `cut etc.' (from which then also come sk-er- and sk-el-). Nobody believes, that such a "systematic" cutting up gives a right pisture of the linguistic processes. Old connections with κόπτω, perh. also with σκέπαρνος (s. vv. w. lit.; to this further still NPers. kāfađ `dig, split') a. cogn. with all kinds of crosses and deviations (!) may be possible, but cannot be demonstrated in detail. -- S. still σκήπτω and σκίπων. -- Frisk's discussion of σκάπτω is hopelessly dated; it refers clearly to Pok. 930 ff.; e.g. we now know that PIE did not have an ablaut e\/a; so the words with -e- must be omitted. I would strike the comparison with Lat. scapula (both for form and meaning). Also Lith. skobiù, skõbti, as Greek has no form with long ā. I think that the forms ( σ)κάπετος (s.v.) may be Pre-Greek, and so the other forms with σκαπ-; as also σκάφαλος and the strange σκαφλεύς. The other forms seem based on * skabh-, as in Lat. scabō and Germ., e.g. OHG scaban. I suggest that this form is a loan of a Eur. substratum.

Page in Frisk: 2,718-720