συγχρονίζω

Forms

σῠγχρονῐ́ζω (sunkhronízō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek σύγχρονος (súnkhronos, “contemporary, of the same time”) + -ίζω (-ízō).^[1][2] The adjective is a compound of σύν (sún, “with”) and χρόνος (khrónos, “time”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its earliest use is in the prologue to Sirach in the Septuagint, where it means to spend some time in a place.^[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

Lust marks it as a new word of the Septuagint.^[4] Sextus Empiricus uses it with the dative for “to be contemporary with” someone, and the scholia on Aristophanes have the same sense.^[5][2][7] In Ptolemy's Almagest it is used of rising at the same time, Galen uses it of compounding a mixture for the same length of time, and Iamblichus has the passive for being of long standing.^[5][6]

Modern Greek συγχρονίζω (synchronízo), “to make things coincide in time”, is a learned word whose sense follows French synchroniser.^[8][9] The English word synchronize is recorded from the 1620s, first meaning “to occur at the same time”.^[3]

Timeline

• 2nd century BC – The prologue to Sirach uses it for spending time in a place.^[4][5][6]
• 2nd century AD – Ptolemy uses it of stars rising together, and Galen of a mixture compounded in the same time.^[5]
• 2nd to 3rd century AD – Sextus Empiricus uses it for being contemporary with someone.^[5][2]
• 4th century AD – Iamblichus uses the passive for being of long standing.^[5][6]
• 1620s – The English word synchronize is first recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To be contemporary with someone (with the dative).^[5][2][7]
2. (astronomy) To rise at the same time.^[5]
3. To spend some time in a place.^[5][4]
4. (passive) To be of long standing.^[5]
5. To take the same length of time, of compounding a mixture.^[5]

Related words

• σύγχρονος (súnkhronos)
• χρόνος (khrónos)
• English synchronize

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
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 c d Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ a b Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 3rd ed., rev. Max Sengebusch, Braunschweig: Vieweg
8. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος