πηλίκος

Forms

πηλῐ́κος (pēlíkos) m (feminine πηλῐ́κη, neuter πηλῐ́κον); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

Beekes analyses it as from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂-l-i-, an interrogative adjective, extended with the suffix -κος (-kos).^[2] The stem is derived from the interrogative pronoun *kʷo- (“who, which”), and its first element *kʷeh₂- (“to what extent”) may continue the neuter nominative-accusative plural of that pronoun.^[2] Wiktionary instead considers Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“to grow”) as a possible second element.^[1]

It forms a set with the demonstrative τηλίκος (tēlíkos, “so big, so old”), Doric τᾱλίκος (tālíkos), and the relative ἡλίκος (hēlíkos, “as great, as old”).^[2][3][4] The same formation without the suffix is found in Latin quālis (“of what kind”) and tālis (“such”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Xenophanes, of the 6th–5th century BC, who asks someone how old he was “when the Mede came” (ὅθ’ ὁ Μῆδος ἀφίκετο).^[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In Attic it usually asks about size: Aristophanes, Isocrates and Demosthenes use it, and in Plato's Meno Socrates asks how long a line will be.^[3][5] Polybius pairs it with πόσος (pósos), “how many and how great”, and Nicomachus uses the neuter τὸ πηλίκον for magnitude as opposed to quantity.^[5] Aristotle uses it of a person's height and, as an indefinite, of a child of a certain age.^[3][5]

In the Septuagint it occurs in Zechariah and the Fourth Book of Maccabees.^[8][9] In the New Testament it is used in exclamations, where older Greek had ἡλίκος (hēlíkos): Paul writes to the Galatians “with what large letters”, and the Letter to the Hebrews asks the reader to consider how great Melchizedek was.^[10][9]

Modern Greek πηλίκο (pilíko), “quotient”, continues the ancient neuter τὸ πηλίκον; the Χρηστικό Λεξικό links its sense to French quotient.^[6][11]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Xenophanes asks how old someone was when the Mede came.^[5][6][7]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato's Meno asks how long a line will be.^[5][3][7]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of height and, as an indefinite, of a certain age.^[3][5][7]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius writes “how many and how great”.^[5][7]
• 1st century AD – Paul uses it in an exclamation about large letters.^[10]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Nicomachus uses τὸ πηλίκον for magnitude.^[5][7]
• Modern Greek – The neuter survives as πηλίκο (pilíko), “quotient”.^[6][11]

Meanings

Adjective

1. How large? how great? (in direct and indirect questions); of persons, how tall.^[5][3]
2. (New Testament) In exclamations: how large!, how great!^[10][9]
3. How old?^[5][3]
4. (indefinite) Of a certain age.^[5][3]
5. τὸ πηλίκον: magnitude, as opposed to quantity.^[5]

Related words

• πόσος (pósos)
• ποῖος (poîos)
• πόθεν (póthen)
• Latin quālis
• Latin tālis

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
7. ^ a b c d e f Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
8. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
9. ^ a b c Abbott-Smith, G. (1922), A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens