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Terpsimbrotos is a type of linguistic compound (inflectional verbal compounds, German verbales Rektionskompositum), on a par with the bahuvrihi and tatpurusha types. It is derived from a finite verbal phrase, the verbal inflection still visible at the juncture of the compound members. Terpsimbrotos is itself a Greek example of such a compound, consisting of terpsi (either from terp-ti- or from terp-si-) "gladdens" and mbrotos "mortals" (c.f. a-mbrosia); a terpsimbrotos is thus something or somebody that "gladdens mortals". The word appears in the Odyssey and in the Homeric hymn to Apollo as an epitheton of Helios.

Opinions as to what form exactly is reflected by this type of compounds 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.

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

Phere-oikos "house-carrier", "carries-his-house" is 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 phere-ptolemos discussed above is also of this type.

Literature

George Dunkel, Two old problems in Greek: ptolemos and terpsimbrotos, Glotta 70 (1992).

This linguistics article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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-'''''Terpsimbrotos''''' is a type of [[compound (linguistics)|linguistic compound]] (inflectional verbal compounds, German ''verbales Rektionskompositum''), on a par with the [[bahuvrihi]] and [[tatpurusha]] types. It is derived from a finite verbal phrase, the verbal inflection still visible at the juncture of the compound members. ''terpsimbrotos'' is itself a [[Greek language|Greek]] example of such a compound, consisting of ''terpsi'' (either from ''terp-ti-'' or from ''terp-si-'') "gladdens"  and ''mbrotos'' "mortals" (c.f. ''[[Ambrosia|a-mbrosia]]''), a ''terpsimbrotos'' is thus something or somebody that "gladdens mortals". The word appears in the [[Odyssey]] and in the  [[Homeric hymn]] to [[Apollo]] as an epitheton of [[Helios]].
+'''''Terpsimbrotos''''' is a type of [[compound (linguistics)|linguistic compound]] (inflectional verbal compounds, German ''verbales Rektionskompositum''), on a par with the [[bahuvrihi]] and [[tatpurusha]] types.  It is derived from a finite verbal phrase, the verbal inflection still visible at the juncture of the compound members. ''Terpsimbrotos'' is itself a [[Greek language|Greek]] example of such a compound, consisting of ''terpsi'' (either from ''terp-ti-'' or from ''terp-si-'') "gladdens"  and ''mbrotos'' "mortals" (c.f. ''[[Ambrosia|a-mbrosia]]''); a ''terpsimbrotos'' is thus something or somebody that "gladdens mortals".  The word appears in the [[Odyssey]] and in the  [[Homeric hymn]] to [[Apollo]] as an epitheton of [[Helios]].
-Opinions as to what form exactly is reflected by this type of compounds are divided. Dunkel (1992) compares the [[Vedic Sanskrit|Vedic]] ''-si-'' imperatives, connected with the aorist system, apparently by haplology along the lines of ''vak-sa-si'' > ''vaksi''.
+Opinions as to what form exactly is reflected by this type of compounds are divided.  Dunkel (1992) compares the [[Vedic Sanskrit|Vedic]] ''-si-'' imperatives, connected with the aorist system, apparently by haplology along the lines of ''vak-sa-si'' > ''vaksi''.
-'''''Bē-t-harmōn''''' "?driving the wheel", a [[Homeric Greek|Homeric]] compound was also postulated as a similar type of Greek compound, lacking the ''-i-'' of ''terpsimbrotos''. If correctly analyzed, this would support the ''-ti-'' analysis of ''terpsi-''. Dunkel traces the origin of the ''pt-'' in ''ptolemos'' (vs. earlier ''polemos'') "war" to a re-analysis of such a compound, ''*phere-t-polemos'', metathesised to ''phere-ptolemos''.
+'''''Bē-t-harmōn''''' "?driving the wheel", a [[Homeric Greek|Homeric]] compound, was also postulated as a similar type of compound, though lacking the ''-i-'' of ''terpsimbrotos''.  If correctly analyzed, this would support the ''-ti-'' analysis of ''terpsi-''.  Dunkel traces the origin of the ''pt-'' in ''ptolemos'' (vs. earlier ''polemos'') "war" to a re-analysis of such a compound, ''*phere-t-polemos'', metathesised to ''phere-ptolemos''.
 '''''Phere-oikos''''' "house-carrier", "carries-his-house" is 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 ''phere-ptolemos'' discussed above is also of this type.