παίω

Forms

παίω (paíō) ^[1] Boeotian πήω, future παίσω, also παιήσω (Aristophanes), aorist ἔπαισα (Crete, 5th century BC, Aeschylus), perfect πέπαικα, aorist passive ἐπαίσθην.^[2][3] The passive was mostly supplied by πλήσσω.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pyeh₂- (“to hit”), probably through a present Proto-Indo-European *pih₂-u-yé- whose first glide was lost.^[4][5][1] All the Greek forms are built on the present stem, which may stand for *παϝίω (*pawíō), like καίω (kaíō).^[4][6][3] The Cypriot form once cited in support does not exist.^[3][6]

Cognate with Latin paviō (“to beat, pound”), Lithuanian pjáuti (“to cut”) and Latvian pļaũt (“to mow”).^[4][5] LIV puts πταίω (ptaíō, “to stumble”) under the same root, which Beekes also considers.^[5][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Aeschylus uses it of a ship driving its beak against another, and of blows; in a Cretan inscription of the 5th century BC the aorist is used of striking.^[2][7][8]

Semantic evolution

It was a common verb for striking with an aimed blow, with the hand, a stick or a weapon, and also for driving one thing against another.^[7][2] Beekes notes it is relatively rare in Attic prose.^[7][2][4] Aristophanes stretches it to sexual intercourse and to hitting hard with words, and Eubulus to quenching one's thirst.^[2] Intransitively it meant to dash against something, as words beat in vain on a sea of ruin in Aeschylus.^[2] Its derivative ἀνάπαιστος (anápaistos) “struck back” became the metrical term for the anapaest.^[6]

In the Gospels it is used of blows with the hand and of a sword stroke, and it is also used of the sting of scorpions.^[9] Medieval vernacular Greek kept the verb, with a form παίζω in the dialects.^[10]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it of ships striking each other and of blows.^[2][8][11]
• 5th century BC – A Cretan inscription has the aorist ἔπαισα.^[2][3]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it figuratively of hard-hitting words.^[2][11]
• 5th–4th century BC – Xenophon uses it of a sword blow.^[2][9][11]
• 1st century AD – The Gospels use it of blows and of a sword stroke.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To strike, hit with an aimed blow, with the hand, a stick or a weapon; in the passive, to be struck.^[7][2]
2. To drive or dash one thing against another.^[2]
3. To drive away by striking.^[2]
4. (comedy) To hit hard with words; of sexual intercourse.^[2]
5. (intransitive) To dash against something.^[2]
6. Of a scorpion, to sting.^[9]

Word family

• ἐμπαίω (empaíō)
• παραπαίω (parapaíō)
• καταπαίω (katapaíō)
• ἀνάπαιστος (anápaistos)

Related words

• πταίω (ptaíō)
• Latin paviō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d 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 c d e 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
5. ^ a b c Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
6. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
7. ^ a b c d Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
9. ^ 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
10. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
11. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge