κινέω

Forms

κῑνέω (kīnéō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱeyh₂- (“to set in motion”).^[2][1][3] Because of the athematic middle κίνυμαι (kínumai, “to move to and fro”), the active is explained from an older *κινέϝω (kinéwō), replacing *κινευμι (kineumi); the other tenses, κινήσω (kinḗsō) and ἐκίνησα (ekínēsa), were formed by analogy.^[2][4] The root-final laryngeal is inferred from the Hesychius gloss κίατο (kíato, “moved”) and the Homeric μετεκίαθον (metekíathon, “followed”).^[2]

Related to κίω (kíō, “to go”), and cognate with Latin cieō (“to set in motion”).^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it of moving and stirring: shaking the head (Iliad 17.200), stirring up wasps (16.264), a wind ruffling a field of corn (2.147); in the passive, of setting oneself in motion (1.47).^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In Herodotus it means to remove a thing from its place, and “to move what should not be moved” is to meddle with sacred things.^[6] The tragedians use it of rousing someone and calling forth words, and Plato of starting an argument.^[6] Later Greek used it for starting a lawsuit and for inflecting a word, and in medicine for stimulating the bowels.^[6] Medieval Greek had κινώ and the popular κουνώ, “to shake”, both still in use,^[7] and Modern Greek κινώ (kinó) is a learned word for setting in motion.^[8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of shaking the head and stirring up wasps.^[5][6]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of removing a statue and meddling with sacred things.^[6][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of starting an argument.^[6][9]
• 1st century AD – Dioscorides uses it of stimulating the urine and bowels.^[6][9]
• Medieval Greek – κινώ and the popular κουνώ are in use.^[7]
• Modern Greek – κινώ survives as a learned word.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To move, set in motion; to shake.^[6][5]
2. To disturb, stir up, rouse; to urge on.^[6][5]
3. To remove from its place; to meddle with what is sacred.^[6]
4. To set going, call forth, cause; to start a speech or argument.^[6]
5. (grammar) To inflect.^[6]
6. (passive) To be moved, go; to be agitated.^[6][5]

Word family

• ἀποκινέω (apokinéō)
• ἐγκινέομαι (enkinéomai)
• ἐκκινέω (ekkīnéō)
• εὐκίνητος (eukī́nētos)
• κατακινέω (katakinéō)
• κίνημα (kī́nēma)
• κίνησις (kī́nēsis)
• κινητικός (kīnētikós)
• κινητός (kīnētós)
• κίνητρον (kī́nētron)
• περικινέω (perikinéō)
• προσκινέομαι (proskinéomai)
• ὑποκινέω (hupokinéō)
• κίνησις (kínēsis)

Related words

• κίνυμαι (kínumai)
• κίω (kíō)

Usage notes

Greek proverbs used it: “to move every thing”, to try every way (Herodotus), “not to move what lies well”, to let well alone (Plato), and “don't move Camarina”, of a danger best left alone.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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
3. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge