φορβή

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From φέρβω (phérbō, “to feed”) +‎ -η (-ē, abstract noun suffix). The first element is of uncertain origin; Pokorny suggests Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow (of plants)”), Beekes calls it an agrarian loan from a substrate.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰor.bɛ̌ː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pʰorˈbe̝/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɸorˈβi/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /forˈvi/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /forˈvi/

Noun

φορβή • (phorbḗ) f (genitive φορβῆς); first declension (Epic)

(Epic) forage, fodder, food, booty

Inflection

First declension of φορβή; φορβῆς (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	φορβή phorbḗ	φορβᾱ́ phorbā́	φορβαί phorbaí
Genitive	φορβῆς phorbês	φορβαῖν / φορβαῖῐν / φορβῇῐν phorbaî(i)n / phorbêiin	φορβᾱ́ων / φορβέ͜ων / φορβῶν phorbā́ōn / phorbé͜ōn / phorbôn
Dative	φορβῇ phorbêi	φορβαῖν / φορβαῖῐν / φορβῇῐν phorbaî(i)n / phorbêiin	φορβῇσῐ / φορβῇσῐν / φορβῇς / φορβαῖς phorbêisi(n) / phorbêis / phorbaîs
Accusative	φορβήν phorbḗn	φορβᾱ́ phorbā́	φορβᾱ́ς phorbā́s
Vocative	φορβή phorbḗ	φορβᾱ́ phorbā́	φορβαί phorbaí
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

Εὔφορβος (Eúphorbos)

References

Pokorny, Julius, Indogermanisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, Tübingen: A. Francke Verlag, 1959.
Beekes, Robert, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Leiden, Netherlands, Brill, 2010.