θέσις
Pronunciation
- IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /tʰé.sis/[1]
- IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈθe.sis/[1]
- IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈθe.sis/[1]
Forms
θέσῐς (thésis) f (genitive θέσεως); third declension[1]
Etymology
It is formed from τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”) with the suffix -σις (-sis); it may also continue an inherited *dʰéh₁tis, from the root Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to set, make”).[1][2] It corresponds to a Sanskrit formation found only in compounds, Sanskrit अपिहिति (ápihiti) matching ἐπίθεσις (epíthesis) and उपहिति (úpahiti) matching ὑπόθεσις (hupóthesis), and to Late Latin conditiō (“foundation”).[2][3] Full-grade forms of the same noun are seen in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃 (gadēþs, “placing, adoption”), which renders Greek “adoption as sons” in Ephesians 1:5.[3][1]
Earliest recorded meaning
Its first recorded uses are in Alcaeus and Pindar;[2] Pindar speaks of the setting of words in verse (Olympian 3.8).[2][4]
Semantic evolution
It is the act of setting or placing anything: laying bricks and stones (Plato), laying down arms, depositing money or court dues (Aristophanes, Lysias, Demosthenes), paying taxes, placing counters in a board game.[4][5] Xenophon, Plato, Demosthenes and Aristotle use it for the making of laws, Plato for the giving of a name, and Diodorus for the institution of games.[4][5] It also meant adoption, and in later Greek “by θέσις” (by adoption) was opposed to “by nature”.[1][4] In philosophy it was a position laid down, a thesis.[1]
It is very common in compounds of prefixed verbs: διάθεσις (diáthesis), σύνθεσις (súnthesis), ὑπόθεσις (hupóthesis).[2] Latin borrowed it as thesis.[6][1] The medieval and modern form is Modern Greek θέση (thési), “place, position”.[7][1]
Timeline
- 7th–6th century BC – Alcaeus uses it.[2][8]
- 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for setting words in verse.[4][8]
- 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it for laying bricks and giving names.[4][5][8]
- 4th century BC – Aristotle and Demosthenes use it for lawgiving.[4][8]
- 1st century BC – Diodorus uses it for the institution of games.[4][8]
- Modern Greek – θέση means place, position.[1]
Meanings
Noun
- A setting, placing, arrangement.[4][1]
- A laying down (of arms); a deposit (of money, as security); a payment.[5][1]
- The making (of laws), giving (of a name), institution (of games).[4][5]
- Adoption, of a child, or of something as one's own.[1]
- (philosophy) A position laid down, a thesis.[1]
Word family
- ἀνάθεσις (anáthesis)
- ἀντίθεσις (antíthesis)
- ἀπόθεσις (apóthesis)
- διάθεσις (diáthesis)
- ἔκθεσις (ékthesis)
- ἔνθεσις (énthesis)
- ἐπίθεσις (epíthesis)
- θετικός (thetikós)
- μετάθεσις (metáthesis)
- παράθεσις (paráthesis)
- προέκθεσις (proékthesis)
- πρόθεσις (próthesis)
- πρόσθεσις (prósthesis)
- συγκατάθεσις (sunkatáthesis)
Related words
- Latin thesis
- English thesis
Usage notes
Plutarch explains the name of Theseus from the placing of the tokens by which he was later recognised.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f 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
- ^ a b Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ a b c d e f Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
- ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
- ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge