σπανο-σιτ-ία

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `rarity, scarcity' (IA.).

Other forms: Ion. dat. -ι.

Derivatives: 1. σπάνιος `rare, scarce' (IA.); in compp. for it σπανο-, e.g. σπανο-σιτ-ία f. `lack of grain, provision' (X., Arist., inscr. a. o.; σπανι- σπάνις Delos III^a); σπανο-πώγων, - ωνος `having a scarce growth of beard' (Ion Hist., pap.), shortened from this σπανός `id.', also `eunuch' (Ptol. a. o., Byz.; Fraenkel Μνήμ. χάριν 1, 100, E. Maass RhM 74, 432); σπανι-άκις `infrequent' (Luc. a. o.), - ότης f. = σπάνις (Isoc., Ph.), also σπανία `id.' (E. Rh. 245 [lyr.]; from σπάνιος or enlarged from σπάνις; Scheller Oxytonierung 38). 2. Verb σπανίζω, - ομαι, also w. ὑπο-, `to lack in smth., to lack, to be sparse, to be missing' (Pi., IA.) with σπαν-ιστός `meagre, sparse' (S. a.o.), - ιστικός `id.' (Vett. Val.); σπανίζω also factitive `to exhaust, to spend, to dispense' (LXX, pap., Ph. Byz.); backformed from the verb σπανόν τίμιον, πολλοῦ ἄξιόν ἐστιν H.

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

Etymology: Etymology doubted. Rather with νι-suffix to σπάω (Persson Beitr. 1, 397 n. 1 as supposition with Curtius 272) than with zero grade to πένομαι (s. Curtius a. O.; anl. σπ- gives problems). Diff. Solmsen Wortforsch. 157 (to Lat. pēnūria). -- Furnée 378, however, may be right in connecting ἠπανᾳ -νεῖ ἀπορεῖ, σπανίζει, ἀμηχανεῖ H, assuming a prothetic σ- and a prothetic α- lengthened to ἠ-. If so, the word is Pre-Greek.

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