δίπλωμα

Forms

δῐ́πλωμᾰ (díplōma) n (genitive δῐπλώμᾰτος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek διπλόω (diplóō, “to double, fold”) + -μα (-ma), from διπλόος (diplóos, “double”).^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Aristotle's Meteorologica has the first record, meaning a fold or doubled part, of the brighter part of the Milky Way.^[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was anything folded or doubled: a fold, the doubled part of a robe, and, in medicine, a double vessel for preparing drugs.^[4][2] From the Hellenistic period it meant a document folded double or written in two copies, one of which was sealed: a Hellenistic inscription from Smyrna mentions such a copy, and papyri use it for contracts of sale of slaves.^[4][3][2] In the Roman world it was the official pass that entitled its bearer to use the imperial post and its lodgings, as in Plutarch; papyri also use it for licences, for example to keep donkeys or horses, and for certificates of marriage.^[4][3]

Latin borrowed it as diploma, and through Latin it reached French diplôme, English diploma and German Diplom.^[6][2] Modern Greek δίπλωμα (díploma) has a learned sense, a diploma or certificate, taken from French diplôme, beside the native sense of a fold, from διπλώνω (diplóno).^[7][2]

Timeline

• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for a fold or doubled part.^[4][2]
• Hellenistic period – An inscription from Smyrna uses it for a document made in duplicate.^[4]
• 1st century AD – Dioscorides uses it for a double vessel for preparing drugs.^[4][5]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it for the imperial travel pass.^[4][3]
• 2nd–3rd century AD – Papyri use it for licences and certificates.^[4]
• Modern Greek – δίπλωμα (díploma) means a diploma or certificate, after French diplôme.^[7][2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A fold, a doubled part.^[4]
2. (medicine) A double vessel for preparing drugs.^[4]
3. A document written in duplicate, one copy of which was sealed.^[3][4]
4. (Roman period) An official pass for travelling by the imperial post; also a warrant for an arrest.^[3][4]
5. (papyri) A licence, or a certificate, such as one of marriage.^[4]

Related words

• διπλόος (diplóos)
• Latin diploma
• English diploma

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
3. ^ a b c d e f Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
5. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
7. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki