νήχω

Forms

νήχω (nḗkhō), mostly middle νήχομαι (nḗkhomai); future νήξομαι, aorist ἐνηξάμην.^[1][2] Doric νάχω.^[1][2]

Etymology

It continues Proto-Indo-European *sneh₂- (“to swim, bathe”), with a velar enlargement ⟨χ⟩ such as that of σμήχω (smḗkhō) beside σμῆν (smên).^[2] The same root is found in Latin nō (“to swim”) and Old Irish snaïd (“swims”).^[2][3] LIV marks the Greek verb as uncertain.^[3] The synonymous νέω (néō, “to swim”) differs in its vowel and may be a rhyme formation after πλέω (pléō).^[2][4] The grammarian Philoxenus derived it from the shorter verb by adding ⟨χ⟩ and lengthening the vowel.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Odyssey Odysseus swims after his raft is wrecked.^[6][1][7]

Semantic evolution

Epic and later poetry used both the active and the middle.^[1] Hesiod's Shield uses it of dolphins and swans.^[1][8] Later prose used only the middle νήχομαι (nḗkhomai), and the verb was often compounded with prefixes.^[1][2][4] Polybius, Plutarch, Lucian and Aelian use it of swimming men and animals, Callimachus figuratively of olives in brine, and the Septuagint once has “he swims in words”.^[1][8][9] Derivatives are νῆξις (nêxis) “swimming” and νηκτός (nēktós) “swimming”.^[2][9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Odyssey uses it of Odysseus swimming.^[6][1]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod's Shield uses it of dolphins and swans.^[1][8][10]
• 5th century BC – Democritus has the middle infinitive.^[1][10]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses the middle in prose.^[1][10]
• 1st century BC – Philoxenus explains it as an extension of νέω (néō).^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To swim (active and middle), of people and of animals such as dolphins and swans.^[1][8]
2. (figurative) To float, of olives in brine.^[8]

Word family

• νῆξις (nêxis)
• νηκτός (nēktós)

Related words

• νέω (néō)
• Latin nō

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
4. ^ a b 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 Etygram: ancient etymologies of Greek words, CEPAM, Université Côte d'Azur, http://appsweb-cepam.unice.fr/etygram
6. ^ a b Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
7. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
8. ^ a b c d e Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ a b Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
10. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge