πτήσσω

Forms

πτήσσω (ptḗssō) ^[1] Epic πτώσσω (ptṓssō), Doric aorist πτᾶξαι (Pindar), Attic perfect ἔπτηχα.^[2][3] Epic perfect participle πεπτηώς.^[2][3]

Etymology

The origin is disputed.^[2][1] The epic forms πεπτηώς (peptēṓs) and καταπτήτην (kataptḗtēn) show a root variant without the velar, and the present πτήσσω was derived from the stem of the aorist πτῆξαι (ptêxai).^[2] The LIV sets up a root Proto-Indo-European *pteh₂k- (“to crouch down”).^[4] Hackstein instead connects Tocharian B pyāk- (“to strike down”) and reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *pi̯eh₂(k)-, with πτοέω (ptoéō) and πταίω (ptaíō) within Greek and Lithuanian piáuti (“to cut, mow”) outside Greek.^[2][1]

Beekes objects that “strike down” and “cower” are far apart in meaning, and that the theory ignores πτωχός (ptōkhós, “beggar”), which is clearly related and shows the variation typical of Pre-Greek words; he therefore leans towards a Pre-Greek origin, without rejecting Hackstein's account outright.^[2][1] A comparison with the Armenian verb Old Armenian թաքչիմ (tʻakʻčʻim, “to hide oneself”) has also been discussed.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Iliad its aorist is causative: something “cowed” the hearts of the Achaeans.^[5][3] In the Odyssey the perfect participle describes men crouching in ambush under their armour.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

From the archaic poets on, the verb usually means to crouch or cower in fear, of birds and beasts and of people likened to them.^[3][5] Theognis still uses the causative sense, to scare off enemies.^[3][5] With an accusative it means to shrink from someone or something: Aeschylus has it of threats, Xenophon of enemies.^[5][3] Euripides uses it of suppliants crouching at an altar for protection, and of a city that cowers before another like a ship in a storm.^[3]

In fourth-century prose the perfect describes a person or a country that has been cowed.^[3] The Septuagint has the noun πτῆξις (ptêxis, “fright”).^[2] The compounds καταπτήσσω (kataptḗssō) and ὑποπτήσσω (hupoptḗssō) are common.^[2]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses the aorist in the sense “to frighten”; the Odyssey has the perfect participle of men crouching in ambush.^[5][3][6]
• 6th century BC – Theognis uses it of scaring off enemies.^[5][3][7]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar has the Doric aorist ἔπταξαν, and Aeschylus uses it of cowering before threats.^[5][6][7]
• 5th century BC – Euripides has suppliants crouching at an altar.^[3][7]
• 5th–4th century BC – Isocrates uses the perfect of a people that has been cowed.^[3][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To crouch or cower for fear, of animals and of people.^[3][5]
2. (with accusative) To cower before, flinch from someone or something.^[3][5]
3. To crouch before an altar for protection; to go cowering to a place.^[3]
4. To crouch in hiding, as in an ambush.^[3][5]
5. (perfect) To be cowed.^[3]
6. (causative, aorist) To strike with fear, scare.^[5][3]

Word family

• καταπτήσσω (kataptḗssō)
• ὑποπτήσσω (hupoptḗssō)
• πτῆξις (ptêxis)

Related words

• πτοέω (ptoéō)
• πτωχός (ptōkhós)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge