Terpsimbrotos

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Terpsimbrotos is a type of

Opinions as to what form exactly is reflected by this type of compound are divided. Dunkel (1992) compares the Vedic -si- imperatives, connected with the aorist system, apparently by haplology along the lines of vak-sa-si > vaksi.^[1]

Bē-t-harmōn (βητάρμων) "driving the wheel", a Homeric compound, was also postulated as a similar type of compound, though lacking the -i- of terpsimbrotos. If correctly analysed, this would support the -ti- analysis of terpsi-. Dunkel traces the origin of the pt- in πτόλεμος [ptolemos] (vs. earlier πόλεμος [polemos]) "war" to a re-analysis of such a compound, *phere-t-polemos, metathesised to φερεπτόλεμος [phere-ptolemos].

Phere-oikos (φερέοικος) "house-carrier", "carries-his-house", a term used for a snail by Hesiod's Works and Days, is another Greek variant of the type, with a thematic -e- instead of the -si-. At least synchronically, φερεπτόλεμος discussed above is also of this type.

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