Πλατωνικός

Etymology

It is derived from the name of the philosopher from Ancient Greek Πλάτων (Plátōn) with the adjective suffix -ικός (-ikós).^[1][2][3] The name itself is a nickname, which ancient tradition linked with πλατύς (platús, “broad”) and the philosopher's broad shoulders; his own name was Aristocles.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The corpus records it first in the grammar of Dionysius Thrax (2nd–1st century BC), and then several times in Dionysius of Halicarnassus, of Plato's style.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant “of Plato, by Plato”, of words, doctrines and writings, as in Plutarch and the Anthology;^[6][7][1] as a plural noun, οἱ Πλατωνικοί were the disciples and followers of Plato, the Platonists, in Lucian.^[1][8][2] Lucian also has a superlative Πλατωνικώτατος, and Strabo an adverb πλατωνικῶς “in Plato's manner”.^[7][1][5] It was also a personal name, recorded once in Attica.^[9]

Latin took it as Platonicus, and English has Platonic from the 1530s.^[4] The sense “free of sensual desire”, as in Platonic love, is a Renaissance notion, based on what Plato's Symposium says of love, and is recorded in English from the 1630s.^[4] Modern Greek πλατωνικός (platonikós) is learned: it continues the Hellenistic adjective for the philosophical sense and takes the sense of love that stays chaste, or is never fulfilled, from French platonique.^[10][11]

Timeline

• 2nd–1st century BC – Dionysius Thrax has the adjective.^[5][12]
• 1st century BC – Dionysius of Halicarnassus speaks of Plato's style with it.^[5][12]
• 1st century BC to 1st century AD – Strabo uses the adverb πλατωνικῶς.^[7][5][12]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it of things said by Plato.^[6][1][12]
• 2nd century AD – Lucian calls Plato's followers οἱ Πλατωνικοί and uses the superlative.^[1][12]
• 1530s – English takes Platonic through Latin Platonicus.^[4]
• 1630s – The English phrase “Platonic love” records the sense “free of sensual desire”.^[4]
• Modern Greek – The learned πλατωνικός (platonikós) keeps both the philosophical and the French sense.^[10][11]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or by Πλάτων (Plátōn), Platonic.^[6][7][1]
2. (as a plural noun) οἱ Πλατωνικοί, the Platonists, Plato's followers.^[1][8][2]

Related words

• Πλάτων (Plátōn)
• Latin Platonicus
• English Platonic

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
2. ^ a b c Malhadas, Daisi; Dezotti, Maria Celeste C.; Neves, Maria Helena de Moura, eds. (2006–2010), Dicionário Grego-Português, São Paulo: Ateliê; digital ed. 3 (2022), UNESP Araraquara
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, online ed., https://www.koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ a b c Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b c d Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b Дворецкий, И. Х. (1958), Древнегреческо-русский словарь, Moscow: ГИС
9. ^ LGPN-Ling: Etymology and Semantics of Ancient Greek Personal Names, ANHIMA/EPHE and Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, Oxford, https://lgpn-ling.huma-num.fr
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens
12. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge