ἀγαπάω

See also: αγαπάω

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 9 October 2017

Alternative forms

Etymology

A Proto-Indo-European etymology as a compound *m̥ǵh₂-peh₂- (from *méǵh₂- (great) +‎ *peh₂- (to protect), literally [provide] great protection) was proposed by Pinault in 1991.[1][2]

Previous scholars have proposed non-Indo-European comparisons, including:

  • Semantically, Semitic offers a match in Hebrew אָהַב (ʾāháḇ), and Arabic أَحَبَّ (ʔaḥabba).[3][4] This Semitic, in turn, is suggested by Saul Levin to be a borrowing since the Hebrew has a variant עָגַב (ʿāḡáḇ),[5] also Ugaritic deviates with the form 𐎀𐎅𐎁 (ảhb), but it must be admonished against this that the root ح ب ب (ḥ b b) is well-developed and well-used in Arabic.
  • Friedrich Cornelius[6] believed that ἀγαπάω was borrowed from the precursor of Abkhaz а-гәаԥха-ра (a-gʷapxa-ra, to like, wish, love), though a better match could be Adyghe гуапэ (gʷapɛ), Kabardian гуапэ (gʷapɛ, nice, cordial, pleasurable), all three containing the Northwest Caucasian word for “heart” (compare Adyghe гу (gʷu)).[7]

Pronunciation

 

Verb

ᾰ̓γᾰπᾰ́ω • (ăgăpắō) (chiefly Attic, Doric, Koine)

  1. (Tragic Greek) to show affection for the dead
  2. (transitive) to treat with affection, be fond of, love
  3. (passive voice) to be beloved
  4. (transitive, rare) to caress, pet
  5. (ambitransitive) to be pleased with, take pleasure in, like
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 21.289–290:
      οὐκ ἀγαπᾷς [] μεθ’ ἡμῖν δαίνυσαι
      ouk agapāîs [] meth’ hēmîn daínusai
      Aren't you pleased to dine with us?
  6. (New Testament, transitive) to show brotherly love or agape to

Inflection

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Greek: αγαπώ (agapó), αγαπάω (agapáo)
  • Mariupol Greek: агапу́ (ahapú)

References

  1. ^ Pinault, Georges-Jean (1991). “Grandeur et excès. Avatars du morphème ἀγα‑ dans le lexique et le discours”. Revue de Philologie 65, 195–218.
  2. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀγαπάω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 8
  3. ^ Szemerényi, Oswald (1971) “Pierre Chantraine: Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: Histoire des mots”, in Gnomon[1], volume 43, page 650
  4. ^ Szemerényi, Oswald (1974) “The origins of the Greek lexicon: Ex Oriente Lux”, in The Journal of Hellenic Studies[2], volume 94, →DOI, page 150
  5. ^ Levin, Saul (1995) Semitic and Indo-European. The Principal Etymologies. With Observations on Afro-Asiatic (Current Issues in Linguistic Theory; 129), volume I, Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing, page 292
  6. ^ Cornelius, Friedrich (1960) Geistesgeschichte der Frühzeit. Von der Eiszeit bis zur Erfindung der Keilschrift, volume I, Leiden, Köln: E.J. Brill, pages 205–6
  7. ^ Chirikba, Viacheslav A. (1996) A Dictionary of Common Abkhaz[3], Leiden, pages 36–37

Further reading