σῴζω

Forms

σῴζω (sōízō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is a verb from Ancient Greek σῶς (sôs, “safe, sound”), from a form ⟨σω-ΐζω⟩ with the suffix -ίζω (-ízō).^[2][1] Beekes takes all the forms of the adjective back to a Proto-Greek σάος (sáos), seen in Cypriot names with ⟨ϝ⟩, and that probably to Proto-Indo-European *tweh₂- (“to be strong”), and Wiktionary also gives this root.^[2][1] Homer has the older factitive verb σαόω (saóō, “to make safe”), whose epic forms ⟨σαῶσαι⟩ and ⟨σαωθῆναι⟩ were contracted to ⟨σῶσαι⟩ and ⟨σωθῆναι⟩, and σῴζω was formed beside these.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

σῴζω itself is found once in Homer, in the Odyssey, where a countryman keeps alive the seed of fire by burying a brand in ashes; the Iliad uses the older σαόω for saving warriors and ships.^[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Greek it is the ordinary verb for saving people and cities from danger or death, bringing someone safely to a place, and keeping things safe: possessions, a ship held by its anchor, a marriage bed kept faithful, a constitution preserved by its laws.^[5] In the middle it also meant to keep something in one's mind.^[1] It could also mean to heal.^[1][7]

The spelling with ⟨ι⟩ is found in inscriptions and papyri down to the 3rd century BC; the grammarian Didymus and many later texts left it out, and this is why σώζω is also written.^[6][1] In the New Testament the verb is used for rescue from disease and danger and for the salvation of the soul from eternal death, and in Christian language this sense, with σωτήρ (sōtḗr) and σωτηρία (sōtēríā), became a technical term.^[7][3]

Modern Greek keeps it as σώζω (sózo), in part as a learned word; its sense of saving a computer file is a semantic loan from the English word save.^[8][4] The everyday Modern Greek σώνω (sóno) is a medieval remodelling: its aorist έσωσα looked like the aorists of verbs in -ώνω, so a new present was formed from it.^[8][4]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses the older σαόω; the Odyssey has σῴζω once, of keeping fire alive.^[2][6][5]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod's Works and Days has a form of it, as a variant reading.^[2][6][9]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus, the tragedians and Thucydides use it for saving people and cities.^[5][9]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for laws and customs that preserve a constitution.^[5][9]
• 3rd century BC – Inscriptions and papyri still write it with ⟨ι⟩ after the ω.^[6]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for spiritual salvation.^[7][3]
• Middle Ages – The vernacular forms the new present σώνω (sóno) from the aorist.^[8][4]
• Modern Greek – The verb survives as σώζω (sózo) beside the everyday form with ⟨-ν-⟩.^[8][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To save or rescue someone or something from danger or death; in the passive, to be saved, survive.^[5][6]
2. To bring someone safely to or from a place; to recover something lost.^[5]
3. To keep safe, protect or preserve; to keep or maintain something, such as one's good name.^[5][1]
4. (middle) To keep in mind, remember.^[1]
5. To heal a sick person.^[1][7]
6. (New Testament) To save from sin and eternal death.^[7][1]

Word family

• ἀνασῴζω (anasṓizō)
• ἀποσῴζω (aposṓizō)
• ἄσωτος (ásōtos)
• διασῴζω (diasōízō)
• ἐκσῴζω (eksṓizō)
• περισῴζω (perisṓizō)
• συνανασῴζω (sunanasṓizō)
• συνεκσῴζω (suneksṓizō)
• συσσῴζω (sussōízō)
• σωσίπολις (sōsípolis)
• ὑπεκσῴζω (hupeksṓizō)
• ἀντισῴζω (antisṓizō)
• ἄσωστος (ásōstos)
• διαποσῴζω (diaposṓizō)
• σωτήρ (sōtḗr)
• σωτηρία (sōtēríā)
• σώτειρα (sṓteira)

Related words

• βιοσσόος (biossóos)
• δημοσσόος (dēmossóos)
• εὔσοος (eúsoos)
• λαοσσόος (lāossóos)
• νηοσόος (nēosóos)
• ξενοσσόος (xenossóos)
• πολισσόος (polissóos)
• σῶς (sôs)
• σωστός (sōstós)
• σῶστρα (sôstra)
• σαόω (saóō)
• Modern Greek σώνω (sóno)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Spicq, Ceslas (1994), Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, tr. James D. Ernest, 3 vols, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
4. ^ a b c d e Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
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 d e f Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e 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 c d Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge