κρατέω

Forms

κρατέω (kratéō) ^[1] Aeolic κρετέω (kretéō), aorist κρέτησαι (krétēsai) in Sappho.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is a denominative verb formed from Ancient Greek κράτος (krátos, “strength, power”) + -έω (-éō).^[1][3][4][2] The Aeolic verb κρετέω (kretéō) has the full grade of Aeolic κρέτος (krétos), beside the zero grade of κρατύς (kratús) and κάρτα (kárta).^[2] Beekes traces the noun to Proto-Indo-European *kret-s- (“strength”), with the zero grades *kr̥t-u- and *kr̥t-ero-, and says that the distribution of ⟨ρα⟩ and ⟨αρ⟩ in this root is not well understood.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Iliad it means to be strong, to rule or hold sway, and to have the upper hand in battle; the gods and kings who “rule over” people take a genitive or dative.^[4][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In Herodotus, tragedy and Thucydides it means to have control over people and places, to be victorious and defeat an enemy, and, of an argument, a vote or a report, to prevail.^[3] Pindar uses it of athletes who win, Solon and Aeschylus of seizing power, and the participle became a noun, “the ruler”.^[3] It also meant to master one's passions or be mastered by sleep or pleasure, to outdo, and to take possession of a thing.^[3] Babiniotis traces the step from “rule” to “acquire, hold” to Herodotus.^[6] Many compounds were made with it, such as ἐπικρατέω (epikratéō), κατακρατέω (katakratéō) and θαλασσοκρατέω (thalassokratéō).^[1][2]

In the Septuagint and the New Testament it means to rule, to prevail and to master, but also to seize and hold fast, to arrest a person, and to keep or retain something.^[7][8][9] The Hellenistic senses “grasp, hold in the hand, imprison” are those of Modern Greek κρατώ (krató), “to hold”.^[10] Medieval vernacular texts still used it for “govern, rule”.^[11]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of ruling and of having the upper hand in battle.^[4][3]
• 7th–6th century BC – Sappho has the Aeolic aorist κρέτησαι (krétēsai).^[2]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it of victory in the games.^[3]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus and Thucydides use it of controlling places and defeating enemies.^[3]
• 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses it of seizing and holding as well as ruling.^[7]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it of grasping, arresting and holding fast to teachings.^[8][9]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for “govern, rule”.^[11]
• Modern Greek – κρατώ (krató) means “to hold” and “to keep”.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To be strong or powerful.^[3][5]
2. To rule, hold sway, with a genitive or dative of those ruled.^[3][4][1]
3. To have the upper hand, prevail, be victorious; with an accusative or genitive, to defeat.^[3][1]
4. To get the better of, master; in the passive, to be overcome.^[3]
5. To surpass, outdo.^[3]
6. To take possession of, seize, hold.^[3][1][7]
7. (New Testament) To hold fast to, keep; to arrest someone.^[8][9]

Word family

• ἀποκρατέω (apokratéō)
• ἀριστοκρατέομαι (aristokratéomai)
• γυναικοκρατέομαι (gunaikokratéomai)
• δημοκρατέομαι (dēmokratéomai)
• ἐπικρατέω (epikratéō)
• θαλασσοκρατέω (thalassokratéō)
• ἱπποκρατέω (hippokratéō)
• κατακρατέω (katakratéō)
• ναυκρατέω (naukratéō)
• πονηροκρατέομαι (ponērokratéomai)
• ἀμφικρατέω (amphikratéō)
• ἀνακρατέω (anakratéō)
• ἀντικρατέω (antikratéō)
• πλουτοκρατέομαι (ploutokratéomai)

Related words

• κρατεύω (krateúō)
• κράτησις (krátēsis)
• κράτος (krátos)
• κρατερός (kraterós)
• κρατύνω (kratúnō)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ a b c d Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
5. ^ a b Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
7. ^ a b c Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
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. ^ a b c United Bible Societies (2023), UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (revised Louw–Nida semantic domains), open-licence ed.
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr