στάζω

Forms

στᾰ́ζω (stázō) ^[1]

Etymology

The present reflects *στάγ-yω (*stág-yō), and it forms the basis of the other forms, as in σταγών (stagṓn, “drop”), which stands beside it as τρυγών (trugṓn) does beside τρύζω (trúzō).^[2][3] The rare plural στάγες (stáges) is probably formed back from the plural of the noun for “drop”.^[2][3]

Its further origin is disputed: it is often connected with Latin stāgnum (“standing water, pool”) and Middle Breton staer (“river, brook”), from a *stag-rā, and Beekes thinks the connection possible though the meaning does not obviously fit.^[2] This would make it inherited from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂g- (“to trickle, drip”), which LIV gives with a question mark.^[1][4] Chantraine finds no demonstrable etymology, and Babiniotis rejects the comparison with Latin and Welsh on phonetic grounds.^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Iliad, where Thetis lets nectar fall in drops through Patroclus' nostrils.^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

In early poetry it is transitive, “to let fall in drops”: nectar and ambrosia in Homer and Hesiod, seed in Pindar, blood in Aeschylus, and tears and sweat in Euripides.^[7][6] Tragedy also uses it of a person or limb dripping with blood, sweat or foam.^[6][7] From Herodotus on it is also intransitive, of liquids that fall in drops, and figuratively of pain that trickles into the heart in Aeschylus and of a sound trickling through the ears in Euripides.^[6][7] Aeneas Tacticus uses it of leaking ship sheds.^[6]

The Apostolic Fathers use it of God instilling righteousness.^[8] Medieval Greek had a by-form Byzantine Greek στάσσω (stássō), still found in the dialects, and Modern Greek στάζω (stázo) continues the word in Modern Greek, meaning to drip.^[9][10]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of dripping nectar.^[6][7]
• 6th century BC – Hipponax uses it.^[6][11]
• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it of dripping blood, and figuratively of pain.^[6][7][11]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it intransitively, of water that drips.^[6][11]
• Medieval Greek – Vernacular texts have a by-form στάσσω beside it.^[9]
• Modern Greek – It survives as a common verb for dripping.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To let fall in drops, to drip or shed a liquid, with the accusative.^[6][7]
2. To drip with something, with the dative: of hands dripping with blood or a face with sweat.^[6][7]
3. (intransitive) To fall in drops, to trickle; figuratively, of pain or of a sound.^[6][7]
4. To leak.^[6]
5. Of ripe fruit, to drop off.^[6]

Word family

• ἀποστάζω (apostázō)
• ἐνστάζω (enstázō)
• ἐπιστάζω (epistázō)
• καταστάζω (katastázō)
• ποτιστάζω (potistázō)
• διαστάζω (diastázō)
• ἐκστάζω (ekstázō)
• παραστάζω (parastázō)
• περιστάζω (peristázō)
• προσστάζω (prosstázō)
• ὑποστάζω (hupostázō)

Related words

• σταγετός (stagetós)
• στάγμα (stágma)
• σταγών (stagṓn)
• στακτή (staktḗ)
• στακτός (staktós)
• στάξ (stáx)

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b c 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
4. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
5. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge