ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ῥίψω

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `tumble head forward' (Il., Pl., X.)

Other forms: - έω Opp. K. 4, 263.

Compounds: also with prefix, ἐκ-, κατα-, περι-.

Derivatives: κυβιστητήρ `who tumbles head forward' (Hom., E., Tryph.; Fraenkel Nom. ag. 2,13), also with haplology κυβιστήρ (H.) and κυβιστής (Delos; uncertain; cf. Fraenkel Glotta 2, 31 n. 2 and below); κυβίστησις (Plu., Luk.), - ημα (Luc.) `somersault'.

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

Etymology: Expressive verb with unclearer formation and unknown origin. The verbs in -( σ)τ- present nothing comparable with κυβιστάω; formations as ἑρπυστάζω (: ἑρπύζω, ἕρπω) a. o. (Schwyzer 706) suggest a *κυβίζομαι (evtl. through κυβιστής; s. above). - One compares since Curtius and Fick (s. Bq and WP. 1, 375) a few words given in EM: κύβη = κεφαλή ( κυβιστάω = εἰς κεφαλην πηδῶ), κύβηβος = ὁ κατακύψας, κυβηβᾶν ' κυρίως τὸ ἐπὶ την κεφαλην ῥίπτειν' (after H. = θεοφορεῖσθαι, κορυβαντιᾶν); further κυβητίζω ἐπὶ κεφαλην ῥίψω, κυβησίνδα ἐπὶ κεφαλήν, η τὸ φορεῖν ἐπὶ νώτου, η κατὰ νώτου H. Further κύμβη `head' (EM 545, 27) and κύμβαχος `head formost', ἀνακυμβαλιάζω. See Kuiper, Gedenkschrift Kretschmer 213f. (Not better Frisk, who wants to consider rather κύβος `dice'.) All the words would belong to κυφός, κύπτω. Frisk assumes that the word is northern, because of the β for φ; but there is no reason to connect κυφός.). So we have κυ(μ)β-, κυμ- `head' which is clearly Pre-Greek. - S. also Szemerényi, Sprache 11 (1966) 2 a. 6. Not with Prellwitz to κόβαλος; cf. Thumb KZ 36, 193 f.

Page in Frisk: 2,38-39

κύβης, ου, ὁ,

A = κυβευτής, Hsch. [full] κυβησίνδα [ παίζειν], play at ἐγκοτύλη, Poll.9.122, cf. Hsch., Phot. [full] κυβητίζω· ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ῥίψω, Hsch.