διπλόος

Forms

δῐπλόος (diplóos) m (feminine δῐπλόη, neuter δῐπλόον); first/second declension^[1] Contracted διπλοῦς (diploûs), the usual form in Attic and always in tragedy; late διπλός (diplós).^[2][3][4] Herodotus has the feminine forms διπλῆ (diplê) and διπλάς (diplás), and Pindar the Doric feminine διπλόα.^[3][5]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek δίς (dís, “twice”) + -πλόος (-plóos, “-fold”),^[1][5] and it is the counterpart of ἁπλόος (haplóos, “single, simple”).^[4][2] The DGE takes the second element from a root Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to fold”).^[5]

Latin duplus (“double”) is formed in the same way, and Wiktionary allows that the word may go back to Proto-Indo-European *dwiplós.^[1][6] Beekes finds a direct link between the Greek forms in -πλόος and the Latin ones in -plus problematic, because the shorter Greek ending is late and rare.^[4] Kretschmer thought the ending had been influenced by a word for “sailing”, from πλέω (pléō).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it twice for a cloak worn folded double, and of the cuirass where its two plates meet at the side.^[7][3]

Semantic evolution

The word was first used of cloaks and garments folded double, and was sometimes used for duplicity.^[2][3] In tragedy the plural can simply mean “two”, and Sophocles' Antigone uses διπλῇ χερί of two brothers dying by each other's hand.^[3] Pindar uses it of a mind in doubt, and Euripides and Xenophon of a double-dealing, treacherous person.^[3]

As a comparative it meant “twice as much”, in Plato and in an Athenian law quoted by Demosthenes.^[3] Aristotle calls compound words διπλᾶ ὀνόματα, and Galen uses it for fevers with two attacks in a given period.^[3][1] Its derivatives διπλόω (diplóō, “to double”) and δίπλωμα (díplōma), a folded paper in administrative use, are Aristotelian and later.^[2]

The late form διπλός (diplós) became the Modern Greek word, διπλός (diplós), and Modern Greek also has δίπλα (dípla).^[8][1]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it of a cloak folded double.^[7][3]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it of a doubtful counsel.^[3][5]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses the forms διπλῆ and διπλάς; in tragedy the contracted form is the rule.^[3][5]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it as a comparative, “twice as much”.^[3][5]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle calls compound words διπλᾶ ὀνόματα.^[3][5]
• 2nd century AD – Oppian has the late form διπλός.^[4][5]
• Modern Greek – The word survives as διπλός (diplós).^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Double, twofold; of a garment, folded double.^[3][9][7]
2. Consisting of two parts; of a cuirass, made of two plates.^[7][5]
3. Mutual, done by two against each other.^[3][1]
4. (grammar) Of a word, compound.^[3]
5. (as a comparative) Twice as much, twice as large, with the genitive of comparison.^[3]
6. (tragedy, plural) Two.^[3]
7. Doubtful, ambiguous; of a person, double-minded, treacherous.^[3]

Word family

• διπλῆ (diplê)
• διπλόω (diplóō)
• δίπλωμα (díplōma)
• διπλοΐς (diploḯs)

Related words

• ἁπλόος (haplóos)
• διπλάσιος (diplásios)
• Latin duplus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
6. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
7. ^ a b c d Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press