πρόθεσις

Forms

πρόθεσῐς (próthesis) f (genitive προθέσεως); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek προτίθημι (protíthēmi, “to set before, to lay out in public”) + -σις (-sis), the noun of action of that verb,^[2][3][1] which is made of πρό (pró, “before”) and τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put, place”).^[4][1] Babiniotis compares the parallel pairs θέσις (thésis) and τίθημι (títhēmi), ἐπίθεσις (epíthesis) and σύνθεσις (súnthesis).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plato and Demosthenes use it of the laying out of a dead body before the funeral.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

From “placing in public” the word went in two directions.^[2] Aristotle uses it of a public notice, and of the statement of a case that a speech then proves; later it meant a theme or proposition in general.^[2][3] In Hellenistic Greek the main sense became “what one sets before oneself”, a purpose or intention, common in Polybius, and the phrase “according to purpose” meant “deliberately”.^[2][3][5] Papyri and inscriptions of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC use it of offerings, and the Septuagint and the New Testament speak of the “loaves of the setting-forth”, the showbread.^[2][6] The New Testament also uses it of God's purpose.^[6][3]

The Stoics and the grammarians gave it a technical sense: Chrysippus and Dionysius Thrax use it for the preposition, the word “placed before” another, and Apollonius Dyscolus also for prefixing.^[2] In the Byzantine Church it became the rite in which the bread and wine are prepared for the Eucharist, and the niche of the sanctuary where this is done.^[7][8]

Modern Greek πρόθεση (próthesi) keeps the senses “intention”, “preposition” and the liturgical rite as learned words; its medical sense “prosthesis” is a separate borrowing of French prothèse.^[8] English borrowed prothesis, used for the liturgical rite from the 1670s and in grammar for a sound added at the start of a word.^[9] Latin prothesis is the Latin borrowing.^[10]

Timeline

• 4th century BC – Plato and Demosthenes use it of laying out a corpse.^[2][3][11]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of a public notice and of the statement of a case.^[2][3]
• 3rd century BC – Chrysippus uses it for the preposition.^[2]
• 3rd century BC – Papyri use it of an offering.^[2]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for purpose or intention, and Dionysius Thrax for the preposition.^[2][3]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament speaks of the loaves of the setting-forth and of God's purpose.^[6][2]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for the preparation of the eucharistic gifts and the place where it is done.^[7]
• 1670s – English takes over prothesis for the liturgical rite.^[9]
• Modern Greek – πρόθεση (próthesi) means an intention, a preposition, or the liturgical rite.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A setting out in public, especially the laying out of a corpse before burial.^[2][3]
2. A public notice.^[2][3]
3. The statement of a case to be proved; a theme or proposition.^[2][3]
4. (Hellenistic) An offering; in the Septuagint and the New Testament, the setting-forth of the sacred loaves, the showbread.^[2][6][3]
5. (Hellenistic) A purpose, intention; with κατά, “on purpose, deliberately”.^[2][3]
6. (Polybius) A supposition or calculation.^[2]
7. (grammar) A preposition; also prefixing, placing first.^[2][5]
8. (Byzantine, church) The rite preparing the bread and wine for the Eucharist; the place in the sanctuary where it is held.^[7][8]

Related words

• ἀπροθέτως (aprothétōs)
• πρόθεμα (próthema)
• προθετικός (prothetikós)
• προθετός (prothetós)
• προθήκη (prothḗkē)
• προτίθημι (protíthēmi)
• θέσις (thésis)
• Latin prothesis
• English prothesis

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 q r s t 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 m Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
5. ^ a b Malhadas, Daisi; Dezotti, Maria Celeste C.; Neves, Maria Helena de Moura, eds. (2006–2010), Dicionário Grego-Português, São Paulo: Ateliê; digital ed. 3 (2022), UNESP Araraquara
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. ^ a b c Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
8. ^ a b c d Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
11. ^ Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge