μολοβρός

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Ancient Greek[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Numerous doubtful proposals have been advanced. In antiquity, it has been linked to μολεῖν (moleîn), aorist infinitive of βλώσκω (blṓskō, to go or come), interpreting the word as "from going, and having recourse to food", which is clearly folk etymology. Neumann derives it from an unattested word *μολος (*molos), related to Sanskrit मल (mala, dirt, filth), and the root *gʷerh₃- (to eat, devour). Although this is clearly better than earlier proposals, it does not explain the second element -βρος. According to Beekes, it is rather a Pre-Greek word. Furnée compares κολόβριον (kolóbrion, young of a swine), suggesting an interchange μ/κ.

Pronunciation[edit]

 

Noun[edit]

μολοβρός (molobrósm (genitive μολοβροῦ); second declension

  1. term of abuse or depreciation applied to a beggar, of uncertain meaning

Inflection[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]