Difference between revisions of "Fegos"

Revision as of 18:38, 21 February 2013

Fegos grece fagus arbor.

Apparatus:

grece ABC e | a’ {= arabice} f

Translation:

Fegos is Greek for Latin fagus {"beech-tree"}.

Commentary and botanical identification:

Simon's equating of Latin fagus with Greek φηγός /phēgós/ (Dor. φαγός /phāgós/) is etymologically correct but botanically questionable. Fagus is generally identified as Fagus silvatica L. the "common, copper or European beech". Its distribution is from central Spain to northwest Turkey, where it is replaced by Fagus orientalis Lipsky. It should be said that in warmer regions F. silvatica prefers a mountainous habitat.

Greek φηγός /phēgós/ on the other hand is thought to be Quercus aegilops L. (syn. Quercus macrolepis Kotschy), "Valonia or Vallonea oak", obviously an oak tree. Taxonomically it has had a chequered history as confirmed by a large number of botanical synonyms. Its distribution is from Italy to Greece and its islands to the Balkans, Asia Minor and Morocco. It is thought that the name for the two different trees, fagus and φηγός /phēgós/, is derived from a root shown in Greek φαγεῖν /phageîn/ "eat", since acorns and beech-nuts were a common animal fodder and in hard times also served for human consumption.