πωλέω

Forms

πωλέω (pōléō) ^[1]

Etymology

Its formation is that of an iterative-intensive verb, but no primary verb from which it could be derived is surely attested, in Greek or elsewhere.^[2][3][4] It may be inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to sell”), the root proposed for Sanskrit पणते (páṇate, “to barter, buy”), which may continue an old nasal present, Lithuanian pel̃nas (“gain, profit”), Russian полон (polón, “captivity, booty”) and Old Norse falr (“for sale”).^[2][3][1] Mayrhofer doubts the Sanskrit comparison.^[2]

Another proposal links it with ἐμπολή (empolḗ, “trade, purchase”), usually connected with πέλομαι (pélomai, “to turn, move”).^[1] The Homeric πωλέομαι (pōléomai, “to go to and fro”) has a separate source.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Herodotus is the first author to use it, meaning to offer for sale or sell.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

In classical Greek it meant to offer for sale, as opposed to ὠνέομαι (ōnéomai, “to buy”), and was distinguished from ἀποδίδοσθαι and πέρνημι (pérnēmi), which describe the sale itself.^[5][4][6] The price is put in the genitive.^[5][6] Used without an object it meant to trade, keep a shop.^[5][6] In Athenian administration the Council and its officials “sold” the right to collect taxes or work the mines, that is, farmed them out.^[6] Demosthenes uses it figuratively of politicians who sell out the city's interests.^[6]

Many compounds name sellers of particular goods, such as οἰνοπωλέω (oinopōléō, “to sell wine”).^[1][3] The New Testament uses it of selling possessions and of the sellers in the Temple.^[7]

The medieval form Modern Greek πουλώ (pouló), with /o/ raised to /u/ next to the labial, is the Modern Greek word for “sell”.^[8]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for offering goods for sale.^[5][6][9]
• 4th century BC – Aeschines uses it for farming out a tax, and Demosthenes for selling out a city.^[6][9]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it of selling possessions.^[7]
• Modern Greek – It survives as Modern Greek πουλώ (pouló).^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To offer for sale, sell; in the passive, to be on sale.^[5][6]
2. Without an object: to trade, carry on business.^[5][6]
3. To farm out a tax, a mine or an office.^[6]
4. (figurative) To sell out, betray.^[6]

Word family

• ἀλλαντοπωλέω (allantopōléō)
• διαπωλέω (diapōléō)
• οἰνοπωλέω (oinopōléō)
• παντοπωλέω (pantopōléō)
• προπωλέω (propōléō)
• ἀναπωλέω (anapōléō)
• ἐμπωλέω (empōléō)
• ἐπιπωλέω (epipōléō)
• καταπωλέω (katapōléō)
• μεταπωλέω (metapōléō)
• παραπωλέω (parapōléō)
• προσπωλέω (prospōléō)
• συμπωλέω (sumpōléō)

Related words

• πώλης (pṓlēs)
• πώλησις (pṓlēsis)
• πωληταί (pōlētaí)
• πωλητήριον (pōlētḗrion)
• πωλητής (pōlētḗs)
• πωλητικός (pōlētikós)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b 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
8. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
9. ^ a b Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge