ἀλέγω

Forms

ᾰ̓λέγω (alégō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *alégō (“to care”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- (“to care, mind”).^[1][2] Beekes finds no certain etymology, but the shape of the word suggests an Indo-European origin.^[2] LIV reconstructs this root, “to take care of”, with a thematic present and finds it also in the second part of compounds such as Latin neglegō (“to neglect”).^[3][4]

A link with ἄλγος (álgos, “pain”) is unlikely for the sense, though the two groups influenced each other, and δυσηλεγής (dusēlegḗs) was later associated with pain.^[2][5] The DGE does connect the two, with different vowel grades of one root.^[6] Hermann derived it from λέγω (légō, “to count”) with the prefix ἐν (en) in the zero grade, a view Chantraine finds attractive although such a zero grade is rare in Greek.^[5] De Lamberterie's connection with λέγω is unacceptable to Beekes because of the laryngeal.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

An epic and lyric word, found only in the present: in Homer it usually comes with a negative, “to have no care” for someone, and the Cyclopes “do not heed” Zeus.^[7][8][9]

Semantic evolution

Without a negative it means to attend to something: in the Odyssey people attend to the rigging of ships, and in the Iliad the Prayers go “with due heed”.^[7][9] It takes the genitive (to care for someone) or the accusative (to regard, respect), as of men who have no regard for the vengeance of the gods.^[7][8] Alcman and Pindar use it with ἐν and the dative for “to count among”.^[5][8] Aeschylus has it once, in lyrics, and later poets such as Callimachus and Apollonius of Rhodes revived it.^[7][8]

Its enlarged forms ἀλεγίζω (alegízō) and ἀλεγύνω (alegúnō) are also Homeric and also found only in the present.^[2]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it, mostly with a negative, for “to heed, to care”.^[9][7][10]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod speaks of men who do not heed the vengeance of the gods.^[7][8][6]
• 7th century BC – Alcman uses it for “to count among”.^[5][8][6]
• 5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it once, in a lyric passage of the Suppliants.^[7]
• 3rd century BC – Apollonius of Rhodes uses it for caring for one's life.^[7][8][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To have a care, heed, be concerned; usually with a negative, “to have no care”.^[7][8]
2. To care for, regard (with the genitive or accusative); with a negative, to disregard.^[7][8]
3. To attend to, busy oneself with (with the accusative).^[7][9]
4. To count among (with ἐν and the dative); in the passive, to be counted among.^[7][8]

Word family

• ἀλεγεινός (alegeinós)
• ἀλεγίζω (alegízō)
• δυσηλεγής (dusēlegḗs)
• τανηλεγής (tanēlegḗs)
• ἀλεγύνω (alegúnō)

Related words

• ἀλγεινός (algeinós)
• ἀλγέω (algéō)
• ἄλγος (álgos)
• ἀργαλέος (argaléos)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
4. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ a b c d Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
10. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux