ἄλφι

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Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *álpʰi, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élbʰi(t) (“barley”), thus the original meaning may have been “barley-flour”; this word may itself be derived from the root *h₂elbʰ- (“white”). Compare Proto-Albanian *albi (“barley”) (whence modern Albanian elb) and Proto-Iranian *arpacyaH (“barley”).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

ἄλφῐ • (álphi) n (indeclinable)

  1. flour, expecially barley flour.

Usage notes

Plural: ἄλφιτα (álphita) (Homeric), used in opposition to ἀλείατα (aleíata, “wheat flour”).

This is a frequent word in Attic and Ionic dialects, and opposed to ἄλευρον (áleuron, “wheat flour”).

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἄλφι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 77
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chantraine (1968) pp. 66–67

Further reading

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