Greek:
«Βλίτο» [ˈvli.tɔ] (neut.) -->
Guernsey pigweed, Amatanthus blitum (
we eat the leaves and the tender shoots cooked in steam or boiled and then served with olive oil, lemon and salt); used for the foolish, or gullible person < Classical neut. noun
«βλίτον» blítŏn (idem), used as a denigrating designation for the silly or foolish person since antiquity (adj.
«βλίτων» blítōn (masc. & fem.) of unknown etymology).
«Γουρούνι» [ɣuˈɾu.ni] (neut.) -->
(colloq.) piɡ; used for the inconsiderate, bad mannered person < Byz. Gr neut.
«γουρούνιον» gouroúniŏn -->
pig, diminutive of Koine (originally Doric) 3rd declension fem.
«γρωνάς» grōnás (nom. sing.),
«γρωνάδος» grōnádŏs (gen. sing.) -->
she-pig, sow, possibly an onomatopoeia from the pig's snort
«γρῦ» grû.
«Γάιδαρος» [ˈɣai̯.ða.ɾɔs] (masc.) or
«γαϊδούρι» [ɣa.iˈðu.ɾi] (neut.) -->
(colloq.) donkey; inconsiderate, bad mannered, unrefined person < Byz.Gr.
«γαϊδάριον» gaϊdárion (neut.) -->
donkey < Ar. غيذار (ghaydhaar),
donkey.
«Φάλαινα» [ˈfa.le.na] (fem.) -->
whale; used for the extremely obese person < Classical fem. noun
«φάλ(λ)αινᾱ» pʰắl(l)ai̯nā -->
(init.) monster, (later) whale (the length of the syllable with geminate -λλ- -ll- is metrically ascertained) < Classical masc. noun
«φαλλός» pʰăllós -->
phallus, membrum virile (of unknown etymology, φάλλαινα is a cognate because of its body shape).
«Φίδι» [ˈfi.ði] (neut.) -->
snake; used for the sly, calculatinɡ, sneaky person < aphetism of Byz. Gr. neut. diminutive
«ὀφίδιον» ophídion (idem) < Classical 3rd declension masc. noun
«ὄφις» ópʰis (nom. sinɡ.),
«ὄφεως» ópʰĕōs (ɡen. sinɡ.).
«Σκουλήκι» [skuˈli.ki] (neut.) -->
worm; used for for the bad, sleazy and sneaky person, the snot < diminutive of Byz. Gr. masc. noun
«σκώληκας» skṓlēkas and
«σκούληκας» skoúlēkas (idem) < Classical 3rd declension masc. noun
«σκώληξ» skṓleks (nom. sinɡ.),
«σκώληκος» skṓlēkŏs (ɡen. sinɡ.).
«Τσιμπούρι» [ʦ͡imˈbu.ɾi] (neut.) -->
tick and
«βδέλλα» [ˈvðe.la] (fem.) -->
leech; used for persons who live off others, or persons who are difficult to get rid off.
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«Τσιμπούρι» [ʦ͡imˈbu.ɾi] (neut.) < Byz. Gr. neuter diminutive
«τσιμούριν» tsimoúrin -->
tick which became
«τσιμπούριν» tsimpoúrin after contamination with the v.
«τσιμπώ» [ʦ͡imˈbɔ]
* < Classical fem. noun
«κίμμυρος» kímmurŏs -->
tick, with palatalization and tsitakism of the initial velar plosive, of unknown etymology.
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«βδέλλα» [ˈvðe.la] (fem.) < Classical fem. noun
«βδέλλᾱ» bdéllā -->
leech, deverbative from the v.
«βδάλλω» bdắllō -->
to milk (cows) (possibly Pre-Greek).
*From Byz. Gr. v.
«τσιμπῶ» ʦimpô and
«τσιμπίζω» ʦimpízō < Classical v.
«ἐξεμπίζω» ĕksĕmpízō -->
to sting < preposition & prefix
«ἐκ» ĕk which before a vowel becomes
«ἐξ» ĕks + Classical 3rd declension fem. noun
«ἐμπίς» ĕmpís (nom. sing.),
«ἐμπίδος» ĕmpídŏs (gen. sing.) -->
gnat, with popular derivation from
«ἐμπίνω» ĕmpínō -->
to drink oneself full (in the case of gnats, 'full of blood') < prefix & preposition
«ἐν» ĕn which before labials in assimilated into
«ἐμ» ĕm + v.
«πίνω» pínō.