Etymologically
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πλέκω

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Pronunciation

  • 5th-century BC Attic: /plé.kɔː/[1]
  • 4th-century AD Koine: /ˈple.ko/[1]
  • 10th-century Byzantine: /ˈple.ko/[1]

Forms

πλέκω (plékō) [1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *plékō, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- (“to braid”),[1][2][3] a thematic present *pléḱ-e- with the sigmatic aorist ἔπλεξα (éplexa).[3] Such a present has no parallel elsewhere: the other languages use a root extended with /t/, *pleḱ-t-, as in Latin plectō (“to plait”) and Old High German flehtan (“to braid”).[2][1] The bare root survives in isolated words such as Old English fleax (“flax”), from *ploḱ-so-.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Iliad uses it for plaiting hair, and the Odyssey has the middle for twisting a rope for oneself.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Pindar uses it for weaving garlands and, figuratively, songs and words; in tragedy, comedy and Plato it is used scornfully of contriving plots and wiles and of spinning deceptive arguments.[4] Plato uses the passive of things compounded or intricate, and Aristotle the perfect participle for the complex plot of a tragedy.[4] In the Gospels it is used for plaiting a wreath.[6]

The medieval vernacular kept it, with the participle πλεμένος.[7] Modern Greek πλέκω (pléko) means “to plait, weave”, and above all “to knit”; one sense is modelled on French tresser.[8]

Timeline

  • Homer – The Iliad uses it for plaiting hair, the Odyssey for twisting a rope.[4][5]
  • 6th–5th century BC – Pindar weaves garlands and songs.[4][5][9]
  • 5th century BC – Euripides uses it for contriving wiles and twisting words.[4][9]
  • 4th century BC – Aristotle calls a complex tragic plot πεπλεγμένος.[4][9]
  • 1st century AD – The Gospel of Mark (15:17) uses it for plaiting a wreath.[6]
  • Modern Greek – Modern Greek πλέκω (pléko) means “to knit” as well as “to plait”.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To plait, braid (hair); to twine (rushes).[4][10]
  2. To make by plaiting or twining: to weave (a garland, a basket, a rope, nets).[4][6]
  3. (passive) To be twined round, embrace.[4]
  4. (figurative) To weave (words, a song).[4]
  5. (pejorative) To contrive (plots, wiles); to spin deceptive arguments.[4]
  6. (passive) To be compounded; to be intricate; of a tragic plot, to be complex.[4]

Word family

  • πλεκτός (plektós)
  • πλεκτάνη (plektánē)
  • πλέγμα (plégma)
  • πλοκή (plokḗ)
  • πλόκαμος (plókamos)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ a b Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  5. ^ a b c Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
  8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  9. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
  10. ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press