γεωμετρικός

Forms

γεωμετρῐκός (geōmetrikós) m (feminine γεωμετρῐκή, neuter γεωμετρῐκόν); first/second declension^[1] Doric γαμετρικός (gametrikós), in Archytas.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek γεωμέτρης (geōmétrēs, “geometer, land-measurer”) + -ικός (-ikós).^[1][4][5] The Μείζον derives it from γεωμετρία (geōmetríā, “geometry”) instead.^[6] The base is a compound of γῆ (gê, “earth”) and μέτρον (métron, “measure”).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The neuter plural τὰ γεωμετρικά is the title of a work on geometry ascribed to Democritus, of the 5th century BC.^[3][2] In running text it is first common in Plato, who speaks of a “geometrical number” and of geometrical equality.^[3][8][9]

Semantic evolution

In Plato and Aristotle it is the adjective of γεωμετρία (geōmetríā): Plato contrasts geometrical equality with mere equality of shares, and Aristotle defines distributive justice by a geometrical proportion.^[3][2][8] With “art” understood, ἡ γεωμετρική is geometry itself, and a person can be called γεωμετρικός, “skilled in geometry”.^[3][8] In music theory Archytas, in Doric, and later Nicomachus and Theon of Smyrna speak of a geometric mean or harmony.^[2][3]

Plutarch calls Archimedes a “geometrical Briareus”, and in the Septuagint a measuring line is a σχοινίον γεωμετρικόν.^[3][10] The adverb γεωμετρικῶς came to mean “by a strictly deductive proof”, as in Proclus, and Cicero uses it in a Latin letter for refuting someone conclusively.^[3]

Latin borrowed it as geometricus.^[11] English took geometrical from the Latin word in the late 14th century, and geometric, a shortening of it, in the 1620s; since 1902 the English word has also named a style of ancient Greek pottery decorated with straight lines and angles.^[12] Modern Greek γεωμετρικός (geometrikós) is a learned continuation of the ancient word; some of its senses may follow French géométrique, and it also names the Geometric style of Greek art.^[13][14][6]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – A work on geometry ascribed to Democritus is titled τὰ γεωμετρικά.^[3][2]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato speaks of a geometrical number and of geometrical equality, and calls geometry ἡ γεωμετρική.^[3][8][2]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for the proportion of distributive justice.^[3][2]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch calls Archimedes a geometrical Briareus.^[3][2]
• 5th century AD – Proclus uses the adverb γεωμετρικῶς (geōmetrikôs) of strictly deductive proof.^[3][2]
• Late 14th century – English takes geometrical from Latin geometricus.^[12]
• Modern Greek – The learned γεωμετρικός (geometrikós) means “geometrical” and names the Geometric style of art.^[13][6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or for geometry, geometrical: of a number, an equality, a proportion.^[3][8][2]
2. ἡ γεωμετρική (with “art” understood): the science of geometry; τὰ γεωμετρικά, geometry, or a work on it.^[3][8]
3. Skilled in geometry; as a noun, a geometrician.^[3][8]

Related words

• γεωμέτρης (geōmétrēs)
• γεωμετρία (geōmetríā)
• γῆ (gê)
• μέτρον (métron)
• Latin geometricus
• English geometric
• English geometrical

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
6. ^ a b c Τεγόπουλος, Γ.; Φυτράκης, Ε. (1997), Μείζον Ελληνικό Λεξικό, Athens: Αρμονία
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, online ed., https://www.koeblergerhard.de
8. ^ a b c d e f g Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
10. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
11. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
13. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
14. ^ Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens