Λακωνικός

Forms

Λᾰκωνῐκός (Lakōnikós) m (feminine Λᾰκωνῐκή, neuter Λᾰκωνῐκόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek Λάκων (Lákōn), “a Laconian”, with the adjective suffix -ικός (-ikós).^[1][2] Beekes notes that Λάκων was perhaps a short, familiar form of the official name Λακεδαιμόνιος (Lakedaimónios), and labels it possibly Pre-Greek.^[2] Krahe thought the name Illyrian.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in Ionic and Attic prose from the 5th century BC: Herodotus and Thucydides use it of Laconian land, and the feminine ἡ Λακωνική (understand γῆ, “land”) for Laconia itself.^[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

Classical Greek used the adjective for anything from Laconia or in the Spartan style: people, cities and armies, but also a kind of door key, shoes worn by men (αἱ Λακωνικαί), hounds, cups and food.^[4][5] Λακωνικὸν πνέων, “breathing Laconian”, meant being of Spartan temper.^[5] It also described the Spartan constitution and way of life, which Plato, Xenophon and Aristotle discuss.^[4]

The Spartans were known for speaking in few words, and in Plato's Protagoras “a certain Laconian brevity of speech” is already a set phrase.^[5][4] Strabo quotes a proverb about a man whose field was smaller than a Laconian letter.^[5] Diodorus Siculus uses the adverb Λακωνικῶς together with “briefly”.^[5] The Septuagint uses the neuter Λακωνικόν for a transparent garment worn by women.^[5]

The word survives as λακωνικός (lakonikós), “of Laconia” and “laconic”.^[6][7] The second sense came back into Greek from French laconique, which goes through Latin laconicus to this adjective.^[6] English laconic, first recorded in the 1580s, comes probably through Latin as well.^[8]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Herodotus and Thucydides use it of the Laconian land and army.^[3][4][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it of Laconian men, a door key and Laconian shoes.^[5][4][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato speaks of a Laconian brevity of speech in the Protagoras.^[5][9]
• 1st century BC – Diodorus Siculus uses the adverb in the sense “tersely”.^[5][9]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses the neuter as a noun for the Laconian style.^[5][4][9]
• 6th century AD – Stephanus of Byzantium records τὸ Λακωνικόν for Laconian steel.^[5][9]
• 1580s – English first records laconic.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of Laconia or the Laconians, Laconian, Spartan.^[5][4]
2. (military) Relating to the Laconians: suffered by them, waged against them.^[4]
3. In the Laconian style (of a key, shoes, a cup, food, a way of life).^[4][5]
4. Of speech: short and to the point, laconic.^[4][5]

Noun

1. ἡ Λακωνική: Laconia, the land of the Spartans.^[5][4]
2. αἱ Λακωνικαί: Laconian shoes, worn by men.^[5][4]
3. τὸ Λακωνικόν: the Lacedaemonian state, or the Laconian manner.^[5][4]
4. τὸ Λακωνικόν (Septuagint): a transparent woman's garment.^[5]

Related words

• Λάκων (Lákōn)
• Λακεδαίμων (Lakedaímōn)
• λακωνίζω (lakōnízō)
• Latin laconicus
• English laconic

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
7. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c d e f Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge