ἐπιλοβίς μέρος τοῦ ἥπατος

Grammatical information: m.

Meaning: `lobe, lap, slip' as appellation of several lap- or sliplike parts of body or plant, esp. `lobe of the ear' (Ξ 182), also `lobe of liver' (Hp., A., E., Pl.), `of the lung' (medic.) etc.; `lap, Blättchen des Fliederblattes' (Thphr.), `capsula with seeds, (hanging down) pods of siliquosae- and leguminous plants' ans these themselves, `pod, seed-lobe, fruit-lobe in gen.' (Thphr., Dsc., Gal.). Details in Strömberg Eranos 40, 90ff.; he wants to explain the meaning `pod, case' through popular association with λοπός `shell, bark, scale', which is superfluous with the development of meanings scetched above. Demin. λόβιον (Gal., Dsc.).

Compounds: Often as 2. member, e.g. πρό-λοβος m. `crop of birds, Adam's apple' (Arist., LXX), but προ-λόβιον `the front part of the lobe of the ear' (Poll., H.); ἔλ-λοβος `in a pod, with pod' (Thphr.; lengthened ἐλλοβ-ώδης `id.'; cf. Strömberg Theophrastea 164), but ἐλ-λόβιον `ear-ring' (Luc., S.E.); ἀντι-λόβιον, - βίς `part of the ear-lobe opposite to the προλόβιον' (medic.); ἐπιλοβίς μέρος τοῦ ἥπατος H.; as adj. in ἡ ἐπιλοβὶς γλῶσσα `lobe of the liver' (of soothsayers, PAmh. 2, 14, 21; III--IV<sup>p</sup>); as building term καταλοβεύς m. `uppercornice, cross-beam' (Epid., Hierapytna); ὀξυλοβ-έω ' τὸ ταχέως ἀκούω' (Suid.), from *ὀξύ-λοβος, s. Strömberg l.c.

Derivatives: Dimin. λόβιον (Gal, Dsc.).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Etymology unknown. Semantically attractive is the connection with NHG Lappen a. cognates., e.g. OE læppa m. `tip, lap', ēar-læppa `ear-lobe', also without expressive gemination as WNo. lapa `hang slack', MLG ōr-lepel `ear-lobe'. Further with deviating ă-vowel Lat. lăbāre `totter, give way' beside long vowel in lābor, lābī `glide'; with initial sl- e.g. MLG slap 'sleck', Lith. slãbnas, OCS slabъ `slack'; extensively on these WP. 2, 431 f., W.- Hofmann s. labō; also Pok. 655 f.; Fraenkel Wb. s. slãbnas, Vasmer Wb. s. slábyj. The IE b may, like the varying vocalisation, be connected with the popular-expressive character of these words. - Connection with Lat. legūmen `leguminous plant etc.' (Fick, Prellwitz) would presuppose IE * legʷ-, which would be more attractive; the Lat. word, however, has also been interpreted differently, s. W.-Hofmann s. v. - Beside λοβός there seems to have been a form *λέβος, s. 1. λεβηρίς (?). If this is correct - but it is rather unreliable - the word may be Pre-Greek; the cited IE forms rather point to a European substratum word.

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