τρέπω

Forms

τρέπω (trépō) ^[1] Ionic τράπω; aorist ἔτρεψα and ἔτραπον, perfect τέτροφα.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *trep- (“to turn”), with a causative present *trop-éye/o- seen in τροπέω (tropéō).^[4][5] Cognate with Sanskrit त्रपते (trápate, “is ashamed, becomes timid”) and Hittite terepp- (“to plough”); Latin trepit (“turns”) is only recorded by a late grammarian and may be an invention.^[4][1][6] Beekes and Chantraine note that the Sanskrit sense matches ἐντρέπομαι (entrépomai, “to be ashamed”).^[4][6]

Chantraine also considers a base with a labiovelar, Proto-Indo-European *trekʷ-, which Mycenaean Greek to-ro-qe-jo-me-no “turning” would support,^[6][7] but Beekes finds the link with that Mycenaean form and with Latin torqueō (“to twist”) untenable.^[6][4][7] He also separates τραπέω (trapéō, “to tread grapes”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it means to turn something in a direction, and in the middle to turn oneself; in the Iliad it already also means to put to flight, rout.^[3][2][8]

Semantic evolution

Its uses from Homer on cover turning someone or something in a direction, turning away from a course, and putting an enemy to flight; in the middle and passive it means to turn round or back, of the sun at the solstice in Plato and Xenophon, and of troops in retreat in Polybius.^[2][3] Figuratively it means to turn someone's mind to a course of action, to turn blame or anger upon someone, to put a thing to some use, and to change a state of affairs; in tragedy and prose the middle means to turn to someone for help.^[2]

Its derivatives τρόπος (trópos) “turn, way” and τροπή (tropḗ) “turning, rout” are formed from it, and English -trope comes from τρόπος.^[9][4] Modern Greek τρέπω (trépo) is a learned word.^[10]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it for turning and, in the middle, for turning oneself.^[2][8]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod uses the second aorist ἔτραπον.^[8][11]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Xenophon use the middle of the sun turning at the solstice.^[2][11]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses the middle of troops retreating.^[2][11]
• Modern Greek – It is a learned word, Modern Greek τρέπω (trépo).^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To turn, direct someone or something in a direction.^[2][3]
2. To turn away, divert from a course; to put to flight, rout.^[2][3]
3. (middle and passive) To turn round, turn back; of the sun, to turn at the solstice; of troops, to retreat.^[2]
4. (middle and passive) To turn one's steps, go somewhere.^[2]
5. (middle and passive) To turn to someone for help.^[2]
6. To turn someone or their mind towards a course of action, state or feeling.^[2]
7. To direct blame or anger upon someone.^[2]
8. To put a thing to some use.^[2]
9. To change, transform a state of affairs.^[2]

Word family

• ἀνατρέπω (anatrépō)
• ἀποτρέπω (apotrépō)
• διατρέπω (diatrépō)
• ἐκτρέπω (ektrépō)
• ἐντρέπω (entrépō)
• ἐπιτρέπω (epitrépō)
• μετατρέπω (metatrépō)
• περιτρέπω (peritrépō)
• προστρέπω (prostrépō)
• προτρέπω (protrépō)
• τρόπαιον (trópaion)

Related words

• τροπή (tropḗ)
• τρόπος (trópos)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ 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
5. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
6. ^ a b c d 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
7. ^ a b Микенско-русский словарь (Mycenaean–Russian dictionary)
8. ^ a b c Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
9. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
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