κατάληψις

Forms

κᾰτάληψῐς (katálēpsis) f (genitive κᾰτᾰλήψεως); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek καταλαμβάνω (katalambánō, “to seize”) + -σις (-sis), with the noun suffix added to the verb's stem καταληπ- (katalēp-).^[1][2] The verb is made of κατά (katá) and λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest examples are from the 5th century BC.^[4] Thucydides says that an enemy fleet was no longer “within reach of capture”, and Aristophanes in the Clouds uses it for the quashing of opponents in argument.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In classical prose it is the seizing or occupation of something: Plato, Isocrates and Demosthenes use it of places, a kingdom and a sanctuary.^[5][6] The Hippocratic writers used it for a grip with the fingers, bandages or instruments, and Aristotle for the compression of a sense organ in sleep.^[5]

Zeno of Citium made it a key term of Stoic philosophy: the mind's direct grasp of an object, its apprehension, and in the plural, perceptions.^[5][6] Plutarch says that Cicero brought the term into Latin.^[5] Later physicians used it for a stoppage, and Galen for catalepsy.^[5] English catalepsy goes back to it through Late and Medieval Latin.^[3]

In Modern Greek κατάληψη (katálipsi) is a learned word, from the ancient one: the capture of territory by force, and the occupation of a building.^[7]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Thucydides uses it for being within reach of capture.^[5][6]
• 5th century BC – Aristophanes uses it for the quashing of opponents in argument.^[6][5]
• 5th century BC – The Hippocratic writers use it for a grip with the fingers or bandages.^[5]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Isocrates use it for the occupation of places and of a kingdom.^[5][6]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Zeno of Citium makes it the Stoic term for the mind's grasp of an object.^[5]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch reports that Cicero brought the term into Latin.^[5]
• 2nd century AD – Galen uses it for catalepsy.^[5]
• Late 14th century – English catalepsy appears, through Medieval Latin.^[3]
• Modern Greek – Learned κατάληψη (katálipsi) means capture of territory or occupation of a building.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A seizing, capture; with ἐν, within reach of capture.^[5][6]
2. An attack; the quashing of opponents in argument.^[5][6]
3. Taking possession, occupation of places, cities or a kingdom.^[5][6]
4. (philosophy) The mind's direct grasp of an object, apprehension; in the plural, perceptions; with an adjective meaning “exact”, certainty.^[5][6]
5. (medicine) A hold or grip with the fingers, bandages or instruments; compression; a stoppage, as of urine.^[5]
6. (medicine) catalepsy.^[5][8]
7. (music) The stopping of an instrument's strings.^[5]

Related words

• καταλαμβάνω (katalambánō)
• καταληπτικός (katalēptikós)
• ἀκαταληψία (akatalēpsía)
• English catalepsy

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Βικιλεξικό, the Greek Wiktionary, https://el.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
8. ^ Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli