πρόβλημα

Forms

πρόβλημᾰ (próblēma) n (genitive προβλήμᾰτος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek προβάλλω (probállō, “to throw before”) + -μα (-ma), a noun of result: “something thrown or put forward”.^[1][2][3] The verb is from Ancient Greek πρό (pró) + βάλλω (bállō).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first texts are tragedies: Aeschylus has it for armour as a defence against spears and stones, and Sophocles calls a sea-washed headland πόντου πρόβλημα.^[4][5][2]

Semantic evolution

In the 5th century BC it meant something projecting, such as a promontory, and above all something placed in front for protection: Herodotus uses it for shields made of crane skins, and Euripides and Plato for protection against the cold.^[2][4] Figuratively it was a screen or pretext.^[4][2] Euripides also used it for a task.^[4][2]

Plato used it for a question put forward to be solved, especially in geometry, and in Aristotle's logic it is a question whether a statement is so or not.^[4][2] Aristotle's Problems take their title from it.^[4][2] Polybius used it for a practical difficulty, and the Septuagint, in Judges, for a riddle.^[4] The Hippocratic writers used it for an obstruction.^[4]

Medieval Greek used it for a mathematical question and a matter of dispute.^[6] Modern Greek πρόβλημα (próvlima) took its newer senses, a difficulty or trouble, from French problème and English problem;^[7] these came from the Greek word through Latin problēma.^[3][8]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it for a defence against weapons.^[4][2][9]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for shields.^[4][2][9] Sophocles uses it for a promontory.^[4][2][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it for a geometrical problem.^[4][2][9]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for a question in logic.^[4][9]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for a practical problem.^[4][9]
• Late 14th century – English borrows problem through Old French and Latin.^[8]
• Modern Greek – πρόβλημα (próvlima) means a question, a difficulty and a trouble.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Something projecting; a promontory.^[2][4]
2. Something put in front as a defence: a shield, barrier, armour; a protection against something.^[2][4]
3. (figurative) A screen, cover, pretext.^[2][4]
4. An obstacle, hindrance.^[4]
5. A question put forward for solution; a problem in geometry, logic or ethics.^[2][4]
6. A practical difficulty; a riddle.^[2][4]

Word family

• προβληματικός (problēmatikós)

Related words

• προβάλλω (probállō)
• βάλλω (bállō)
• Latin problema
• English problem

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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
7. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c d e f Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge