σπειρο-κέφαλον

σπειρο-κέφᾰλον, τό, (

A

σπεῖρα 1.8

) base and capital of a column, CIG3148.19, 29 ([place name] Smyrna), Rev.Phil.44.74 ([place name] Aphrodisias), prob. in AJA 9.307 ([place name] Sinope).

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `twist, for instance of a snake, of a network, spiral', des. of everal wound or cicular objetcs, e.g. `rope, belt, bead, round base of a pillar' (Ion. poet., also hell. a. late prose; v.l. ζ 269); also as military term = Lat. manipulus (hell.; on the explanation [prop. `bundle'] Debrunner IF 48, 244), later = cohors (inscr. a. pap., Act. Ap. a.o.).

Compounds: Some compp., e.g. σπειρο-κέφαλον n. `base and capital of a column', ὑπό-σπειρον n. "what lies under the round base", `square slab, πλίνθος' (inscr.).

Derivatives: 1. σπειρ-ίον n. `little column base' (Hero); 2. - ικός `belonging to a σ.' (Hero); 3. - ίτης (sc. λίθος) `stone for a column base' (inscr. Didyma; Redard 64 w. n. 26, with other interpretation); 4. - αία f. `privet' (Thphr.; from the form of the inflorescence); 5. - ηδόν `in convolutions, in a circle' (Opp., AP). 6. denom. verb σπειρ-άομαι, also w. περι- a. o., `to convolve' (hell. a. late), older συ-σπειράομαι `to wind, to pull together' (Pl., X., Arist. a. o.), also act. συ-, περι-σπειράω `to wind, to pull together' (hell. pap., D.S. a.o.); from this σπείρ-ᾱμα, Ion. - ημα n. `twist, for instance of a snake, band etc.' (A., Arist., Nic. a.o.; also enlarged from σπεῖρα? Chantraine Form. 184). 7. Also ( συ-) σπειρόομαι `to wind (together)' (Hp., Thphr.), act. aor. σπειρῶσαι `to swathe' (Call.; from σπεῖρον?).

Origin: IE [Indo-European]X [probably] [991] * sper- `turn, wind'

Etymology: Like πεῖρα, στεῖρα, μοῖρα feminine ια-derivation; whether first from a noun or verb, cannot be decided (cf. Schwyzer 474, Chantraine Form. 98 f.). Finally in any case from the same verb `wind, twine', which is seen in σπάρτον, σπεῖρον and σπάργανον(?). The primary verb was replaced partly by the secondary σπειράομαι, σπαργανόω, partly by other verbs like εἰλέω, εἰλύω.

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