σκοπέω

Forms

σκοπέω (skopéō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek σκοπός (skopós, “watcher; mark, aim”), with the denominative suffix -έω (-éō).^[1] The noun is the o-grade formation beside σκέπτομαι (sképtomai, “to look about, consider”), which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- (“to look, spy”), with the first sounds transposed.^[2][1][3] Cognate with Latin speciō (“to look at”) and Avestan spasiieiti (“sees”).^[2]

In Attic, σκοπέω and its middle supplied the present and imperfect, while the other tenses were taken from the older verb.^[4][2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first record in LSJ is in Pindar's first Olympian ode, of looking at a star.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In tragedy and comedy it means to look out or to inspect, and then, in Herodotus, Thucydides and Plato, to consider or examine a question, often with an indirect question.^[5][4] LSJ notes that it is said of particular things rather than of general truths, for which θεωρέω (theōréō) is the usual word.^[4] An Athenian law of the 5th century BC uses it of a document set up for anyone to examine.^[4]

Later writers gave it tenses of its own, a future and an aorist.^[4] In the New Testament it means to pay attention to someone, either to imitate or to avoid them, and to look to one's own or others' interests.^[6] Its stem gave the English learned suffix -scope, through Late Latin -scopium.^[7]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it of looking at a star.^[4][8]
• 5th century BC – Sophocles uses it of looking out and inspecting.^[4][5][8]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus and Thucydides use it for considering a question.^[5][8]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Theophrastus has an aorist with a prefix, beside the old present.^[4][8]
• New Testament – In the New Testament it is used for watching people, to follow or to avoid them.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To look at, behold; to look out for someone or something; to be on the lookout.^[5][4]
2. To inspect, examine.^[5][4]
3. To consider, reflect on, inquire into, often with an indirect question.^[5][4]
4. To look towards, direct one's attention at someone or something.^[5]
5. (New Testament) To pay attention to, notice; to look to one's interests.^[6]

Word family

• ἀνασκοπέω (anaskopéō)
• ἀποσκοπέω (aposkopéō)
• διασκοπέω (diaskopéō)
• ἐπισκοπέω (episkopéō)
• θυννοσκοπέω (thunnoskopéō)
• ἰχνοσκοπέω (ikhnoskopéō)
• κατασκοπέω (kataskopéō)
• οἰωνοσκοπέω (oiōnoskopéō)
• παρασκοπέω (paraskopéō)
• περισκοπέω (periskopéō)
• προσκοπέω (proskopéō)
• συσκοπέω (suskopéō)
• διαμορφοσκοπέομαι (diamorphoskopéomai)
• προσσκοπέω (prosskopéō)

Related words

• σκόπελος (skópelos)
• σκοπεύω (skopeúō)
• σκοπή (skopḗ)
• σκοπιά (skopiā́)
• σκοπός (skopós)
• σκέπτομαι (sképtomai)
• English -scope

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c 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. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ a b c 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. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge