δραστικός

Forms

δρᾱστῐκός (drāstikós) m (feminine δρᾱστῐκή, neuter δρᾱστῐκόν); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek δρᾶσις (drâsis, “action, efficacy”) + -τικός (-tikós), from δράω (dráō, “to do”).^[1] LSJ equates it with the older δραστήριος (drastḗrios, “active, effective”).^[2]

The origin of the verb is uncertain: Beekes thinks a link with Lithuanian darýti (“to do, make”) quite uncertain, and Wiktionary notes that the Lithuanian verb is usually derived from a different root.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record is in Plato's Laws, for the attacking postures of a war dance, as against the defensive ones.^[2][4][5]

Semantic evolution

After Plato it describes what acts and gets results: Diodorus and Plutarch use it of energetic people, such as a capable general, and Philodemus of the efficient cause of anger.^[5][2][4] The Stoics called the active qualities and principles δραστικαί, as against the passive ones, and Galen named heat the most active of qualities.^[2][5] In medicine, from Dioscorides on, a remedy is δραστικός when it works strongly, and Hesychius glosses the word as “strong, powerful”.^[2][5][6]

Medieval Greek used it of a person able to act, energetic.^[7] In Modern Greek δραστικός (drastikós) is a learned word for something that works quickly and effectively, as a medicine or a measure.^[8][9]

Timeline

• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of the offensive postures of a war dance.^[2][4][5]
• 1st century BC – Diodorus calls a general capable and effective, and Philodemus speaks of an efficient cause.^[5][2]
• 1st century AD – Dioscorides uses it of a strongly acting remedy.^[2][5]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it of an energetic person.^[2][4][5]
• 2nd century AD – Galen calls heat the most active of the qualities.^[5]
• 4th century AD – Gregory of Nazianzus uses the neuter for the power to act.^[5]
• Modern Greek – The learned word δραστικός (drastikós) means effective, drastic.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of postures in a war dance: offensive, attacking.^[4][2][5]
2. Of persons: active, energetic, effective.^[4][5][2]
3. (philosophy) Active, as opposed to passive; efficient, of a cause.^[2][5]
4. (medicine) Acting strongly, drastic; producing something (with a genitive).^[2][5]

Related words

• δράω (dráō)
• δρᾶσις (drâsis)
• δραστήριος (drastḗrios)
• δρᾶμα (drâma)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
6. ^ Hesychius of Alexandria, Lexicon, ed. Kurt Latte (Α–Ο, Copenhagen 1953–1966) and Moritz Schmidt (Π–Ω, Jena 1858–1868)
7. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος