μάθημα

Forms

μᾰ́θημᾰ (máthēma) n (genitive μᾰθήμᾰτος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek μαθ- (math-) + -μα (-ma), the stem of μανθάνω (manthánō, “to learn”) (aorist μαθεῖν (matheîn)) with a suffix of result nouns.^[1][2] All the Greek forms go back to the zero grade of the aorist, and Beekes reconstructs a preform *mn̥s-dʰh₁- and compares Old High German mendī (“gladness”) and Lithuanian mañdras (“lively, cheerful”).^[2] The IELex places it under Pokorny's root Proto-Indo-European *mendʰ- (“to direct attention to”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Sophocles uses it of something to be learned, and Herodotus has the saying τὰ παθήματα μαθήματα (tà pathḗmata mathḗmata), “sufferings are lessons”.^[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

The word meant what is learned: a lesson, and then knowledge or learning in general, as in Thucydides and Aristophanes.^[4][5] In the plural it named branches of study, and in particular the mathematical sciences: Plato counts three (arithmetic, geometry and astronomy), later writers four, with harmonics.^[4][5] Beekes lists the derived adjective μαθηματικός (mathēmatikós), “fond of learning, scientific, mathematical”.^[2] In late Greek the word could also mean astrology.^[4]

In the papyri and inscriptions of the Hellenistic period it is a school lesson, and the Septuagint and early Christian writers use it for teaching.^[4][7][6] Medieval vernacular Greek used it for education and study.^[8] Modern Greek μάθημα (máthima) continues the ancient word as a school subject and a lesson.^[9]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Sophocles and Herodotus use it of a lesson, and Herodotus records “sufferings are lessons”.^[4][6]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides uses it of learning.^[4][5]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses the plural for the mathematical sciences.^[4][5]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle distinguishes the pure mathematical sciences from the more physical ones, such as optics and astronomy.^[4]
• 3rd century BC – Papyri and inscriptions use it of school lessons.^[4]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for education and study.^[8]
• Modern Greek – μάθημα (máthima) means a lesson or a school subject.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. That which is learned; a lesson.^[4][5]
2. Learning, knowledge.^[4][5][6]
3. A branch of knowledge, a subject of study.^[5]
4. (plural) The mathematical sciences.^[4][5]
5. Information learned from someone else.^[5]
6. (late) Astrology.^[4]

Word family

• μαθηματικός (mathēmatikós)
• μαθηματικῶς (mathēmatikôs)

Related words

• μανθάνω (manthánō)
• μαθητής (mathētḗs)

Usage notes

The saying τὰ παθήματα μαθήματα (tà pathḗmata mathḗmata), “sufferings are lessons”, plays on the likeness of πάθημα (páthēma) and this word.^[4][5] A line of Philemon advises caring for learning more than for money, since learning brings money in.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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. ^ Indo-European Lexicon (after Pokorny), Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/lex
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d 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
7. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
8. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki