πρόγραμμα

Forms

πρόγραμμᾰ (prógramma) n (genitive προγράμμᾰτος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek προγράφω (prográphō, “to give public notice in writing”) + -μα (-ma).^[1][2][3] Babiniotis compares γράμμα (grámma) beside γράφω (gráphō).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records, in the 4th century BC, are from Athens: in Demosthenes and in the Aristotelian Constitution of the Athenians it is the written agenda of the council or the assembly.^[4][2][5]

Semantic evolution

At Athens the prytaneis used such a notice to summon the council and the assembly and to fix the business.^[6] In Ptolemaic Egypt a papyrus of the 3rd century BC already uses it for a public proclamation, and in the papyri it can be any official notice, from a royal decree to an arrest warrant.^[4][6] Imperial authors such as Plutarch, Herodian and Dio Cassius used it for the Roman edict.^[4][2][6] Lucian has it for a placard, and Galen for the heading of a prescription.^[4]

Late Latin borrowed it as Latin programma, “a publicly posted decree”.^[7][8] The modern sense, a detailed plan or list of events, came back into Greek from French and English programme.^[7][3] The modern word πρόγραμμα (prógramma) is a learned one.^[7]

Timeline

• 4th century BC – Demosthenes and Aristotle use it for the agenda of the council or assembly.^[4][2][9]
• 3rd century BC – The Revenue Laws of Ptolemy Philadelphus use it for a public proclamation.^[4]
• 1st to 2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it for the edict of a Roman emperor.^[2][4][9]
• 2nd century AD – Galen uses it for the heading of a prescription.^[4][9]
• 1630s – English borrows program in the sense “public notice”.^[8]
• Modern Greek – The learned word takes the sense “plan, schedule” from French and English.^[7][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A written notice of the business of an official body; an agenda.^[2][4]
2. A public proclamation, an edict, especially of a Roman emperor.^[4][2]
3. A placard, a posted notice.^[4]
4. The heading of a prescription; the address of a letter.^[4]
5. An injunction, a piece of advice.^[4]

Related words

• προγράφω (prográphō)
• γράμμα (grámma)
• Latin programma
• English program

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c d 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 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. ^ a b c Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth, eds. (2002–2010), Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d 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 Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge