Etymologically
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κλίνω

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /klǐː.nɔː/[1]
  • IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈkli.no/[1]
  • IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈkli.no/[1]

Forms

κλῑ́νω (klī́nō) [1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *klíňňō, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ḱl̥-né-y-ti (“to lean”), a nasal present of *ḱley- (“to lean on”).[1][2] The /y/-present is a Greek innovation that replaced an older athematic nasal present, which other languages continue in various shapes;[3] Lesbian has κλίννω (klínnō).[3][2]

Cognate with Latin clīnō (“to bend”), Old High German hlinēn (“to lean”) (whence German lehnen), Old Saxon hlinōn (“to lean”) and Lithuanian šlinù (“I lean”);[3][2] the thematic present of Sanskrit श्रयति (śráyati, “causes to lean, supports”) matches Old Lithuanian šlejù.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it means to make something lean or slope: Zeus tilts the scales of battle, chariots are leaned against the wall (Iliad 8.435), and warriors rest shields on their shoulders.[5] In the passive it is to lean or to lie down, as in “leaning on their shields” (Iliad 3.135).[5][6]

Semantic evolution

Homer also uses it for turning back the eyes and for turning the enemy to flight, and the passive of a battle that turns.[5][7] Herodotus has it for making guests recline at dinner, and in tragedy it is to lay someone on a bed.[5][7] Later writers used it of the setting sun and the end of the day (Polybius, the New Testament),[7] and grammarians such as Apollonius Dyscolus for inflecting words.[5]

The New Testament uses it of Jesus bowing his head as he died (John 19:30) and of laying down one's head to rest.[8][7] Medieval Greek used it for turning, bending and lowering.[9] Modern Greek κλίνω means to slope, to bend, and in grammar to inflect, the last a Hellenistic sense.[10]

Timeline

  • Homer – The Iliad uses it for leaning, tilting and lying down.[5]
  • 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for making guests recline.[5][11]
  • 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for a day coming to an end.[7][11]
  • 1st century AD – John uses it of Jesus bowing his head.[8]
  • 2nd century AD – Apollonius Dyscolus uses it for inflecting words.[5][11]
  • Modern Greek – κλίνω means to slope and to inflect.[10]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make lean, tilt, slope.[5][7]
  2. To lean (something against something), rest.[5][7]
  3. To turn aside; to turn (the enemy) to flight.[5][7]
  4. To lay down, make recline;[5] (passive) to lie down, recline.[5][7]
  5. To bow (the head); (intransitive) of the sun or day, to sink, decline.[7][8]
  6. (grammar) To inflect.[5]
  7. (passive) To lean, be propped; of places, to slope down to the sea.[5][7]

Word family

  • ἀγκλίνω (anklínō)
  • ἀντικλίνω (antiklínō)
  • ὑπεγκλίνω (hupenklínō)
  • ἐγκλίνω (enklínō)
  • κατακλίνω (kataklī́nō)
  • ποτικλίνω (potiklínō)
  • προκλίνω (proklínō)
  • συγκλίνω (sunklínō)
  • ὑποκλίνω (hupoklínō)
  • κλειτύς (kleitús)
  • κλίμα (klíma)
  • κλῖμαξ (klîmax)
  • κλίνη (klī́nē)
  • κλιντήρ (klintḗr)
  • κλισία (klisíā)
  • κλισίη (klisíē)
  • κλίσις (klísis)
  • κλισμός (klismós)
  • Latin clīnō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
  3. ^ a b c d Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
  4. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  8. ^ a b c Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
  9. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
  10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  11. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge