σύν

Forms

σῠ́ν (sún) (governs the dative)^[1] Old Attic ξύν, Boeotian σούν.^[2] Mycenaean ku-su, also in compounds such as Mycenaean Greek ku-su-pa for ξύμπας “all together”.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *ksún, as the older form ξύν (ksún) shows, attested in Mycenaean ku-su and in Homeric and Old Attic usage.^[1][3][4] σύν arose from it when the first consonant was lost in a word that was usually unstressed.^[3] The final -n may not be original, as μεταξύ (metaxú) “between”, which probably contains the same word, suggests.^[3][4]

The further origin is uncertain, and there are no clear correspondences outside Greek.^[1][4] Lithuanian sù “with” and the similar Slavic prepositions have been compared, but the link is doubtful.^[4][5][3] Dunkel explained the older form as a blend of Proto-Indo-European *som with the k- of *kom, the source of Latin cum.^[4] A connection with ξύω (ksúō) “to scrape, touch” has also been considered.^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Mycenaean already uses Mycenaean Greek ku-su as a preposition and in compounds.^[3] In Homer the usual form is σύν, and ξύν appears only nine times as a preposition, though it is commoner in compounds; the word means “with”, “together with”, and “with the help of” a god.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Greek σύν meant “with” in the sense of accompaniment (going with someone, carrying weapons or clothing), help (“with the help of the gods”), means, manner (“with good sense”), and inclusion (“including, in addition to”).^[6][2] Herodotus and the Hippocratic writers have σύν, Plato and Aristophanes mostly σύν but sometimes ξύν, and Thucydides always ξύν.^[3] In Attic inscriptions ξύν appears after 403 BC only in compounds.^[3]

The preposition then gave way to μετά (metá) with the genitive: Demosthenes has about 350 instances of μετά “with” against some 15 of σύν, though Xenophon still prefers σύν.^[3] The Koine no longer knew the Attic form ξύν.^[7] As the prefix συν- it stayed very productive in compounds of union and accompaniment.^[3] Modern Greek keeps συν (syn) as a learned word; its sense “plus” in arithmetic is modelled on English and French plus.^[8][9]

Timeline

• Mycenaean period – The Linear B tablets have Mycenaean Greek ku-su, as a preposition and in compounds.^[3]
• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use σύν, and occasionally ξύν, for “with”.^[3][10]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides writes only ξύν, Herodotus σύν.^[3]
• 4th century BC – Demosthenes almost always uses μετά instead of σύν for “with”.^[3]
• 2nd century BC – Rare uses with the genitive appear in papyri, under the influence of μετά.^[2][3]
• Modern Greek – It survives as the learned συν (syn), also meaning “plus”.^[8]

Meanings

Preposition

1. (with dative) With, together with someone or something.^[6][2]
2. (with dative) With the help of, by the will of (a god).^[6]
3. (with dative) On the side of, in support of someone.^[6]
4. (with dative) With (weapons, clothing, an object) on one's person or in one's possession.^[6]
5. (with dative) By means of; with (a manner or a circumstance).^[6]
6. (with dative) including, in addition to.^[6]
7. (rare, Koine, with genitive) With.^[2][3]

Adverb

1. Together, at the same time; besides.^[6][3]

Word family

• ξυνός (ksunós)
• σύμπας (súmpas)

Related words

• μεταξύ (metaxú)
• English syn-

Usage notes

Chantraine notes that σύν, especially with the sense “with the help of”, gives phrases such as σὺν θεῷ “with god's help”.^[3] The prefix gave English syn- and its assimilated form sym-.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t 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. ^ a b c d e 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
5. ^ a b Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ 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 Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
10. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
11. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com