μένω

Forms

μένω (ménō) ^[1] Reduplicated present μίμνω (Homer, poets) and μιμνάζω (Iliad); future μενέω (Ionic), μενῶ (Attic); aorist ἔμεινα; perfect μεμένηκα (Attic).^[2][3] Arcadian μίνω.^[1][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *ménō, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stay, stand still”).^[1][2][5] The thematic root present μένω is the base of the whole Greek system; the reduplicated μίμνω (mímnō) may be a Greek creation, and LIV notes that the two do not differ in meaning.^[2][5] No other language has the same present, but the root is widespread: Latin maneō (“to remain”) and Avestan mānaiieiti (“makes stay”), and Vedic has reduplicated forms meaning “wait”.^[2][3][5] An Armenian verb “to stay” matches the rare Greek iterative ἐπιμηνάω (epimēnáō).^[2][3] Cognate also with Persian ماندن (mândan, “to remain”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it very often: to stay or remain in a place, to wait, to stand one's ground in battle, and with an accusative to await an enemy.^[6][7][8]

Semantic evolution

Classical Greek added the senses “to remain unchanged”, “to last” (of walls, oaths, treaties and customs), and with an infinitive “to expect that”.^[7][3] The impersonal use, “it remains to …”, also developed.^[1] Compounds such as ὑπομένω (hupoménō) “to endure”, περιμένω (periménō) “to wait for” and παραμένω (paraménō) “to stay beside” share the work.^[3][2] The root also gives μονή (monḗ, “staying, abode”) and μόνιμος (mónimos, “steadfast”), and names such as Μενέλαος (Menélaos).^[2]

In the New Testament it is used for staying in a place and, figuratively, for continuing or abiding.^[9][10] Modern Greek μένω (méno) still means to remain or be left in a state, and also to live somewhere.^[11][12]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for staying, waiting and standing fast in battle.^[6][7]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus speaks of walls that survive and oaths that hold.^[7][13]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides and Aristophanes use the verbal adjective μενετός, “inclined to wait”.^[2][13]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for staying and abiding.^[9]
• Modern Greek – Modern Greek μένω (méno) means to remain and to live somewhere.^[11][12]

Meanings

Verb

1. To stay, remain (in a place or position).^[7][4]
2. To wait, linger; to stay idle.^[7][1]
3. To stand one's ground, stand fast (against an enemy).^[7][6]
4. To remain unchanged; to continue in a state.^[7]
5. To last, endure; of an agreement or custom, to hold good.^[7]
6. (transitive) To await, wait for; with an infinitive, to expect that.^[7][3]
7. (impersonal) It remains (to do something).^[1]
8. (New Testament) To abide, remain in fellowship.^[9][14]

Word family

• ἀναμένω (anaménō)
• διαμένω (diaménō)
• ἐμμένω (emménō)
• ἐπιμένω (epiménō)
• καταμένω (kataménō)
• μενετός (menetós)
• μενεχάρμης (menekhármēs)
• μόνιμος (mónimos)
• παραμένω (paraménō)
• περιμένω (periménō)
• ὑπομένω (hupoménō)
• μονή (monḗ)

Related words

• Ἀγαμέμνων (Agamémnōn)
• Μέμνων (Mémnōn)
• μίμνω (mímnō)
• Latin maneō

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 g h 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 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
4. ^ a b Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
6. ^ a b c Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
9. ^ 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
10. ^ Thayer, Joseph Henry (1889), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, New York: American Book Company
11. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
12. ^ a b Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
13. ^ a b Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
14. ^ United Bible Societies (2023), UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (revised Louw–Nida semantic domains), open-licence ed.