ἐ-)πύθοντο

πύ̱θοντο, πύθω

cause to rot: imperf ind pass 3rd pl (homeric ionic)

πυνθάνομαι

learn: aor ind mid 3rd pl (homeric ionic)

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: to find out, learn, to ask, to inquire, to investigate' (Il.); act. πεύθω, πεῦσαι `to announce, to cite' (Crete).

Other forms: ep. also πεύθομαι (metr. easier; Chantraine Gramm. hom. 1, 111, 282, 308), fut. πεύσομαι, aor. 2. πυθέσθαι, redupl. opt. πεπύθοιτο, perf. πέπυσμαι.

Compounds: Also w. prefix, e.g. ἀνα-, ἐκ-, προ-

Derivatives: With zero grade: 1. πύστις f. `questioning, inquiry, tidings' (Att., A.; cf. below) with πυστι-άομαι `to interrogate' (Plu., Phot., H.); 2. πύσμα n. `question, interrogation' with - ματικός `interrogative, asking' (late); 3. πυστός (EM, Eust.), always as 2. member, resp. in the prefixcompp., e.g. ἄ-πυστος, ἀνά-πυστος (Od.). With full grade: 4. πευθώ f. `tidings' (A. Th. 370); 5. πεῦσις ( ἀνά-) f. `information' (Ph., Plu.; older πύστις, cf. Fraenkel Glotta 32, 27 w. lit.); 6. πευθήν, - ῆνος m. `spy' (Luc., Arr.; Solmsen Wortforsch. 143); 7. Adj. πευστικός `interrogating' (A. D., Ph.); 8. as 2. member, after the ες-stems (Schwyzer 513), - πευθής, e.g. ἀ-πευθ-ής `uninvestigated, unaware' (Od.); 9. with dentalsuffix φιλό-πευσ-τος (Phot., Suid.), - της (Ptol.) `who loves questioning' with - πευστέω, - πευστία (hell.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [150] * bʰeudʰ- `be awake, wake, observe, recognize'

Etymology: The full grade thematic root-present πεύθομαι has exact formal agreements in several languages: Skt. bódhati, midd. -te `watch, observe, understand', Av. baođaiti, -te `id.', also `smell after', Germ., e.g. Goth. ana-, faur-biudan `order, arrange' resp. `forbid', OWNo. bjōða 'offer, present, make known', Slav., e.g. OCS bljudǫ, bljusti `preserve, guard, observe', Russ. bljudú, bljustí `observe, perceive', IE * bheudh-e(-ti, - toi) `observes, is attent'. The deviating meaning of the Germ. verbs agrees mainly to the (prob. secondary) active Cret. πεύθω and is related to an old opposition of the diatheses; a corresponding meaning shows a.o. the Skt. causative bodháyati `wake, instruct, inform'. The meaning `find out, ask' is a Greek innovation. -- With ( ἐ-)πύθοντο agrees exactly Skt. budhánta so these are in origin identical; complete formal congruence is also found between ( ἄ-)πυστος and Skt. buddhá-, which functions as ptc. of the caus. bodháyati ('wakes, illuminates'), to which also Av. hupō. bus-ta- `well scented'; thus as between πύστις and Skt. buddhi- f. `insight, intelligence, spirit', between ( ἀ-)πευθής and Av. baođah- n. `observation'; in all these cases one must reckon with independent innovations. A nasalized present like πυν-θάνομαι is also found in Lith. bu-n-dù, inf. bústi `wake' (with the suffixed caus. búd-inu, - inti) and in Celt., e.g. OIr. ad-bond- `give notice, announce'. Through the strong productivity of these formations is also here original identity doubtful; cf. Schwyzer 701 w. lit. -- Further forms from the diff. languages with rich lit. in WP. 2, 147f., Pok. 150, Mayrhofer s. bódhati, Fraenkel s. budė́ti, Vasmer s. bljudú.

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