Discussion of κνίζω, κνῖσα, κνίζα and related verb forms; derivation from κνύζω/κνῶ/κνάπτω; explanation of double-σς (σσ) formation with a long list of verbs exhibiting geminated σ.
δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ κνίζω οὐ μόνον ἡ κνῖσα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ κνίζα ὡς σχίζω σχίζα. Ἀνακρέων (fr. 87 Bergk), κνίζη τις ἤδη καὶ πέπειρα γίνομαι σὴν διὰ μαργοσύνην. τὸ δὲ κνύζα, εἰ μὲν ἐπὶ φυτοῦ, κατὰ συγκοπήν ἐστιν οἷον «χαμαιζήλοιο κονύζης», εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ παρεφθαρμένου καὶ ἐρρυπωμένου, οὐκ ἔστι συγκοπή, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ κνύω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ κνύος ἡ φθορά. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κνῶ καὶ κνάπτω γίνεται. ὡς γὰρ ῥῶ ῥάπτω τὸ τὰ διαλελυμένα εἰς ῥῶσιν ἄγω καὶ βῶ βάπτω τὸ ἐμβιβάζω ποι τὸ ἐνιέμενον καὶ θῶ θάπτω τὸ ἀποτίθημι τὴν ταφήν, οὕτω καὶ κνῶ κνάπτω, ἀφ´ οὗ κνάφος φυτὸν ἀκανθῶδες, ᾧ τὰ ἄθικτα ἱμάτια ἐπισύροντες κατεργάζονται. τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ γνάπτω, ὅθεν ὁ κναφεὺς καὶ γναφεύς ὁ αὐτός. Τὰ διὰ δύο 'σσ' βαρύνεται· εἰ δέ τι περιεσπάσθη, τοῦτο παρ´ ὄνομα ἐγένετο. πάσσω, πλάσσω, μάσσω, νάσσω, ἱμάσσω, ἀράσσω, πατάσσω, χαράσσω, ἀλλάσσω, θαάσσω, ἀνάσσω, τινάσσω, ἐρέσσω, πυρέσσω, ἀηθέσσω, πτήσσω, ῥήσσω, πλήσσω, πτίσσω, φρίσσω, λίσσω «ὣς φάτο λισσόμενος μέγα νήπιος» (Π 46), δεδίσσω καὶ δειδίσσω, αἰνίσσω, δρομίσσω, ἐνίσσω τὸ ἐκφοβῶ «ἐκπάγλως ἐπέεσσιν ἐνισσέμεν» (Ο 198), ἑλίσσω, ὄσσω μετειλημμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄπτω, πτύσσω, μύσσω, νύσσω, ἀφύσσω, ὀρύσσω, κηρύσσω, κορύσσω, πτώσσω, κνώσσω, ὀνειρώσσω, ἀμβλυώσσω, τυφλώσσω, ἀγρώσσω, «ἰχθῦς ἀγρώσσων πυκινὰ πτερὰ δεύεται ἅλμῃ» (ε 53),
From κνίζω come not only κνῖσα but also κνίζα, as from σχίζω comes σχίζα. Anacreon (fr. 87 Bergk): “someone is already itching me, and I am becoming experienced in your wantonness.” But κνύζα, if it is said of a plant, is by syncope, as in “of the low-growing κονύζη”; but if it is said of something corrupted and filthy, it is not by syncope, but from κνύω, from which also comes κνύος, ‘decay’. Likewise it is also formed from κνῶ and κνάπτω. For just as from ῥῶ comes ῥάπτω, meaning “I bring what has been loosened into a stitching,” and from βῶ comes βάπτω, meaning “I dip, I immerse somewhere what is being put in,” and from θῶ comes θάπτω, meaning “I lay away the burial,” so also from κνῶ comes κνάπτω, from which κνάφος, a thorny plant, with which they work by drawing over it garments that are still uncarded. The same word is also γνάπτω, whence κναφεύς and γναφεύς are the same. Words with double ‘σσ’ are accented with a grave; but if any has been circumflexed, it has come to be so by derivation from a noun: πάσσω, πλάσσω, μάσσω, νάσσω, ἱμάσσω, ἀράσσω, πατάσσω, χαράσσω, ἀλλάσσω, θαάσσω, ἀνάσσω, τινάσσω, ἐρέσσω, πυρέσσω, ἀηθέσσω, πτήσσω, ῥήσσω, πλήσσω, πτίσσω, φρίσσω, λίσσω, “so he spoke, entreating, a great fool” (Π 46), δεδίσσω and δειδίσσω, αἰνίσσω, δρομίσσω, ἐνίσσω meaning “I frighten out,” “to terrify exceedingly with words” (Ο 198), ἑλίσσω, ὄσσω taken over from ὄπτω, πτύσσω, μύσσω, νύσσω, ἀφύσσω, ὀρύσσω, κηρύσσω, κορύσσω, πτώσσω, κνώσσω, ὀνειρώσσω, ἀμβλυώσσω, τυφλώσσω, ἀγρώσσω, “catching fish, it wets its thick wings with brine” (ε 53).