πίνω + ἅλις

Validation

Yes

Word-form

φιάλη

Transliteration (Word)

phialē

English translation (word)

bowl

Transliteration (Etymon)

pīnō + halis

English translation (etymon)

to drink + in abundance

Author

Asclepiades of Myrleia

Century

2/1 BC

Source

Athenaeus

Ref.

Deipnosophists 11.103 (501b)

Ed.

G. Kaibel, Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, Leipzig, 1887-1890

Translation (En)

And Asclepiades the Myrlean says,—"The word phialē (“bowl”), by a change of letters, becomes pialē (sic), a cup which contains “enough to drink” (piein halis) ; for it is larger than the “drinking-cup” (potērion)

Comment

This functional etymology parses the noun as a compound of "to drink", the function of a drinking-cup. It implies a formal manipulation, the change of [p] to an aspirate [ph]. The intermediate step *pialē is a ghost-word. (while phielē occurs sometimes).

Parallels

Herodian, Peri Orthographias, Lentz III/2, 600 (φιάλη: διὰ τοῦ ι· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ πίω πιάλη ὡς νείφω νεφέλη καὶ φιάλη ἢ παρὰ τὸ πίω καὶ τὸ ἅλις, ἀφ’ ἧς ἐστι πιεῖν ἅλις τουτέστιν ἀθρόως διὰ τὸ ἐξεπληρῶσθαι); Ps.-Herodian, Philetaerus (forte auctore Corneliano) (e codd. Vat. gr. 2226 + Paris. gr. 2552) 81 (Φιάλη διὰ τοῦ α καὶ θηλυκῶς· εἴρηται ἀπὸ τοῦ πιεῖν ἅλις ἐξ αὐτῆς); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, upsilon 8 (φιάλη δὲ παρὰ τὸ πιεῖν ἅλις); ibid. phi 29 (φιάλη: παρὰ τὸ πίνω καὶ τὸ ἅλις, ὃ σημαίνει τὸ δαψιλῶς· ἡ τὸ πιεῖν ἅλις παρέχουσα); Etym. Gudianum, phi p. 552; (idem); Lexicon (fragmentum) fort. auctore Nicephoro Gregora, 44 (Κατ’ ἀντιστοιχίαν λέγεται ἡ φιάλη. πιάλη 
γάρ τις ἦν, ἡ τὸ πιεῖν ἅλις παρέχουσα); Etym. Gudianum, upsilon p. 542 (φιάλη δὲ ἐτυμολογεῖται, παρὰ τὸ πίνειν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς ἅλις); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 4, 726 (ὅτι δὲ φιάλη κατὰ ἀντιστοιχίαν πιάλη ἐτυμολογεῖται, ἀφ’ ἧς δηλαδὴ ἔστι πιεῖν ἅλις); Eustathius, Comm. Od. 2, 54 ( ἐκ τοῦ πιεῖν ἅλις ἡ φιάλη); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 793 (Κατὰ μετάθεσιν τοῦ π εἰς φ, πιάλη τὶς οὖσα, παρὰ τὸ πίω, ἡ τὸ πιεῖν ἅλις παρέχουσα, ὅ ἐστι δαψιλῶς)

Modern etymology

Unknown. Probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

"Φιάλη" is still used in MG to denote: a) the 'bottle', b) whatever is similar to a bottle, c) a fountain in the entrance of early christian churches and d) a certain ancient vessel (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of MG)

Entry By

O. Nomato