πολιτεία

Forms

πολῑτείᾱ (polīteíā) f (genitive πολιτείᾱς); first declension^[1] Ionic πολιτηίη.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek πολίτης (polī́tēs, “citizen”) + -ία (-íā), an abstract noun;^[1] the CGL and Babiniotis connect it with the verb πολιτεύω (polīteúō) “to be a citizen, take part in government”.^[3][4] The noun for citizen is from πόλις (pólis, “city”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Herodotus uses it of citizenship, the condition and rights of a citizen.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In classical Attic it widened from citizenship to the citizen's public life, the government and policy of a city, and its constitution or form of government.^[3][2] Plato's Republic discusses kinds of πολιτεία, and Aristotle used the word in particular for a constitutional government by the many, distinct from tyranny or oligarchy, and concretely for the body of citizens.^[2][3] Polybius used it for a way of life.^[2]

In the New Testament it means Roman citizenship, and in Ephesians the commonwealth of Israel.^[6] Paul's civic language for the Christian life fits a wider metaphor in which heaven is the city of the faithful.^[7] Medieval Greek used it for a political system, government, a city's citizens and a free community or city.^[8]

In Modern Greek πολιτεία (politía) is the state and government; it also means a city, and, after English state, a federal state.^[9] It was borrowed as Latin politia,^[10] the source of English policy and polity.^[5]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Herodotus and Thucydides use it of citizenship.^[2][11] Thucydides also uses it of a constitution.^[2][11]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Aristophanes use it for forms of government and the conduct of public affairs.^[2][3][11]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for constitutional government and for the citizen body.^[2][3][11]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for a way of living.^[2][11]
• 1st century AD – Acts and Ephesians use it of Roman citizenship and of the commonwealth of Israel.^[6]
• 3rd century AD – Inscriptions use it like Latin cīvitās for a territory.^[2]
• Modern Greek – πολιτεία (politía) means the state, a city, and a federal state.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Citizenship, the condition and rights of a citizen; in the plural, grants of citizenship.^[2][3]
2. The daily and public life of a citizen; in later Greek, a way of life, conduct.^[3][2][6]
3. Government, the conduct of public affairs; a policy.^[3][2]
4. A constitution, form of government; especially a constitutional, free government.^[3][2]
5. The body of citizens; a state, commonwealth.^[3][6]

Word family

• πολίτευμα (políteuma)

Related words

• πόλις (pólis)
• πολίτης (polī́tēs)
• πολιτεύω (polīteúō)
• πολιτικός (polītikós)
• Latin politia
• English policy
• English polity

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 Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ 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
7. ^ Spicq, Ceslas (1994), Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, tr. James D. Ernest, 3 vols, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
10. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
11. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge