ἀγορεύω

Forms

ᾰ̓γορεύω (agoreúō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἀγορά (agorá, “assembly”) + -εύω (-eúō).^[1][2] Chantraine explains ἀγορά (agorá) as an action noun of ἀγείρω (ageírō, “to gather”) with the vowel ⟨ο⟩, and notes that the word family branched into terms for speaking and terms for the market.^[3] Beekes traces the verb to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ger- (“to gather”), a reconstruction he calls unproblematic, though the root has no direct cognates.^[4]

The Etymologicum Magnum derives the noun from the verb “to gather”, and this from ἄγω (ágō) and εἴρω (eírō, “to speak”), explaining it as the place where people gather to speak.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Iliad it means to speak in an assembly or before a company, and once to hold an assembly; more generally it is to say or tell.^[6][2][7]

Semantic evolution

Homer and Hesiod use it of public speaking and of speaking in general.^[2][8] In Attic it survived as an old legal and political term: the herald opened debate with the question τίς ἀγορεύειν βούλεται;, “who wishes to speak?”, quoted by Aristophanes, Aeschines and Demosthenes.^[8][2] Herodotus uses it of making a proclamation, and the orators of a law that prescribes something.^[8][2] With adverbs such as κακῶς it meant to speak ill of someone.^[2]

Many compounds are formed from it, such as προσαγορεύω (prosagoreúō) and ἀπαγορεύω (apagoreúō).^[1] Modern Greek αγορεύω (agorévo) is a learned revival of the ancient verb: to make a speech in Parliament or in court, and ironically to speak pompously.^[9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for speaking in an assembly and for holding one.^[6][2]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod's Theogony uses it of speaking with assurance.^[8]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of making a proclamation.^[8][2]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes quotes the herald's call for speakers in the Assembly.^[8][2]
• 4th century BC – Demosthenes and Aristotle use it of what a law prescribes.^[2]
• Modern Greek – The learned αγορεύω (agorévo) means to make a public speech.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To speak in an assembly or in public; to make a speech.^[2][6][8]
2. To hold an assembly, in Homer's phrase ἀγορὰς ἀγόρευον.^[6][2]
3. In the herald's formula τίς ἀγορεύειν βούλεται, “who wishes to speak?”, opening debate in the Athenian Assembly.^[2][8]
4. To say, declare, tell of something; with κακῶς or κακά, to speak ill of someone.^[2][6]
5. To bid, order someone to do something.^[2]
6. To proclaim or announce formally, of a herald, seer or auctioneer; of a law, to prescribe.^[2][8]

Word family

• ἀναγορεύω (anagoreúō)
• ἀπαγορεύω (apagoreúō)
• διαγορεύω (diagoreúō)
• ἐξαγορεύω (exagoreúō)
• καταγορεύω (katagoreúō)
• προαγορεύω (proagoreúō)
• προσαγορεύω (prosagoreúō)

Related words

• ἀγορά (agorá)
• ἀγείρω (ageírō)
• κατηγορέω (katēgoréō)
• ἀλληγορέω (allēgoréō)

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 p Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ 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. ^ 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. ^ Gaisford, Thomas, ed. (1848), Etymologicum Magnum, Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
7. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki