Lemizh / English dictionary
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pifnà.
dat: to evolve; evolution
Usage notes
This is the biological sense of the word. See also pifà. ‘develop’ and pifprà. ‘progress, improve’.
Etymology
< NLem pif‑en‑a, compound of
NLem, LMLem, MLem pif‑a ‘move (purposefully)’
< OLem pifh‑ ‘move’ [intr.]
< PLem *pifh‑, i-reduplicated athematic present of
< PIE *peh₁‑
—and—
NLem en‑a ‘between’, inflected form of
< LMLem, MLem en
< OLem hen ‘in’
< PLem *hen
< PIE *h₁en
Coined in analogy to pifà. and pifprà., the concept being that of living beings constantly moving ‘between’ bounding conditions for fitness with regard to their environment.
Cognates
Ved vi-pipāná- ‘sorting out’; Eng in