τρέχω

Forms

τρέχω (trékhō) ^[1] Dialectal τράχω; the future, aorist and perfect usually come from δραμεῖν (drameîn) (δραμοῦμαι, ἔδραμον, δεδράμηκα), with rare θρέξομαι and ἔθρεξα.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to run, drag”).^[4][1][5] Like its synonym θέω (théō, “to run”), it was at first limited to the present stem, and its aorist was supplied by δραμεῖν (drameîn), from Proto-Indo-European *drem- (“to run”).^[4][1] The verb has no counterpart elsewhere in Indo-European, but its derivative τροχός (trokhós, “wheel”) matches Old Irish droch (“wheel”) exactly, both from *dʰrogʰo-; an Armenian word for the potter's wheel may show the lengthened grade.^[4][6] LIV gives the root the meaning “to drag, pull”.^[5] Chantraine notes that τρέχω competed with its older synonym and finally replaced it.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it is used of things that spin and of quick movement: in the Odyssey a drill keeps turning, and in the Iliad a line of dancers wheels round like a potter's wheel.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

From Aeschylus and Euripides on it is the ordinary verb to run, of persons and animals, and Pindar, Aristophanes and Xenophon use it for running in a race.^[2] Figuratively, to run a race for one's life meant to be in a life-or-death contest.^[2] The derivatives keep the idea of running: τροχός (trokhós) “wheel” and τροχίλος (trokhílos), a bird that runs.^[4]

Modern Greek keeps it as τρέχω (trécho),^[8] and Triantafyllidis takes two of its modern senses as semantic loans from English run and French courir.^[8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Odyssey uses it of a spinning drill, and the Iliad of dancers wheeling round.^[2][9]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod personifies Oath running alongside crooked judgements.^[2][9]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for running a race.^[2][10]
• 5th century BC – Aeschylus and Euripides use it for people running.^[2][10]
• Modern Greek – It survives as Modern Greek τρέχω (trécho).^[8]

Meanings

Verb

1. Of a drill, to spin, rotate; of dancers, to wheel round, skip.^[2]
2. Of persons and animals, to run, hurry.^[2][3]
3. To run in a race.^[2]
4. (figurative) To run a race for something, to be in a contest for it.^[2]

Word family

• ἀνατρέχω (anatrékhō)
• ἀποτρέχω (apotrékhō)
• διατρέχω (diatrékhō)
• ἐκτρέχω (ektrékhō)
• ἐντρέχω (entrékhō)
• ἐπιτρέχω (epitrékhō)
• κατατρέχω (katatrékhō)
• παρατρέχω (paratrékhō)
• περιτρέχω (peritrékhō)
• προστρέχω (prostrékhō)

Related words

• δρόμος (drómos)
• τροχάζω (trokházō)
• τροχή (trokhḗ)
• τροχίλος (trokhílos)
• τρόχις (trókhis)
• τροχός (trokhós)

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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d 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 Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
6. ^ a b 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. ^ Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
8. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
10. ^ a b Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge