τελέω

Forms

τελέω (teléō) ^[1] Epic also τελείω (teleíō); epic future τελέω and aorist ἐτέλεσσα beside Attic τελῶ and ἐτέλεσα.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is a denominative verb from Ancient Greek τέλος (télos, “end, fulfilment; tax”), with the verbal suffix *-ϳω (*-jō); synchronically it is the noun with -έω (-éō).^[1] Wiktionary traces the noun to Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁- (“to turn”).^[1] Beekes thinks that the noun has two separate sources: “end, goal” from the root of τέλομαι (télomai) and πέλομαι (pélomai), first perhaps the turning point of a course, and “tax, payment” from the root of τλῆναι (tlênai, “to bear”), Proto-Indo-European *telh₂- (“to lift, carry”).^[4] The verb has both groups of senses, “accomplish” and “pay”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first line of the Iliad says that the will of Zeus was being fulfilled.^[5][2] Homer uses it of completing a task or a race, of fulfilling a promise or a wish, and of paying what is due.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Classical Greek kept the Homeric senses and added others: to bring a child to full term, to reach the end of one's life, to pay money, fees and taxes, and, because citizens were ranked by their taxable property, to be reckoned among a group, as Herodotus says of belonging to the Greeks or the Boeotians.^[3][2] In religion it meant to initiate someone into mysteries and to perform rites, a use found in Plato, Aristophanes and Demosthenes.^[3][2]

The New Testament uses it of finishing a course or a set of sayings, of time being over, and of paying tax; in the Gospel of John it is said that all things are now finished.^[6][7] Modern Greek τελώ (teló) is a learned continuation, used of performing ceremonies and committing a crime, and in phrases such as “to be under arrest”, a semantic loan from French être.^[8][9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of the fulfilling of the will of Zeus, and of completing a race.^[5][2][3]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod uses it of completing a year.^[3][5][10]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of paying and of being reckoned among a people.^[3][2][10]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of initiation into the mysteries.^[3][2][10]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle and the orators use it of paying taxes.^[3][2][10]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it of finishing a course and of paying tax.^[6][7]
• Modern Greek – The learned τελώ (teló) means to perform a ceremony or commit an act.^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To bring to an end, complete, accomplish (a task, a building, a journey).^[3][2][6]
2. To fulfil (a promise, a prophecy, a wish); (passive) to be fulfilled, come true.^[3][2]
3. Of gods, to bring about, grant (good or harm).^[3][2]
4. To bring to full term or maturity; to reach the end of (one's life, a period of time).^[3]
5. To pay what is owed; to pay money, fees, taxes, tribute.^[3][2]
6. To be reckoned among a class or people (from the classes of taxpayers).^[2][3]
7. To initiate into mysteries; to perform rites, celebrate a festival or marriage.^[3][2]

Word family

• ἀποτελέω (apoteléō)
• διατελέω (diateléō)
• ἐκτελέω (ekteléō)
• ἐπιτελέω (epiteléō)
• συντελέω (sunteléō)
• τελετή (teletḗ)
• τελευτή (teleutḗ)
• τέλεσμα (télesma)
• τέλεσις (télesis)
• τελεστής (telestḗs)

Related words

• τέλος (télos)
• τέλειος (téleios)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ 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 c Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
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. ^ a b Abbott-Smith, G. (1922), A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark
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. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge