ἀντίος

Forms

ἀντίος (antíos) m (feminine ἀντίᾱ, neuter ἀντίον); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek ἀντί (antí, “opposite, over against”) with the adjective suffix -ιος (-ios).^[2][3][4] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Hellenic *antíos and Proto-Indo-European *h₂entíos (“front”).^[1] The preposition continues Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti, the locative of a noun meaning “front, face”, and is cognate with Sanskrit अन्ति (ánti, “over against”), Latin ante (“before”) and Hittite ḫanti.^[2][1] Pokorny connects the adjective with the Germanic word for “end”, Old English ende and German Ende, also formed on the same adverb.^[5][6]

The Etymologicum Magnum derived it from the adverb ἄντην (ántēn, “face to face”).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Iliad uses it of people standing face to face with someone and of a man running out to meet others; it is often said of fighters who advance to face an enemy.^[8][4][9]

Semantic evolution

In Homer it is said of anyone who faces another or comes to meet him, in friendship or in battle, and its neuter forms are adverbs: “facing”, “in the presence of”, “against”; the Odyssey often introduces a reply with “he spoke to him in answer”.^[4][8][9] Hesiod uses it of handfuls of stalks laid top to bottom when sheaves are bound, and the Homeric Hymn to Hermes of hoofprints turned the wrong way.^[9] Pindar has it for rivals in a contest and for an adverse omen.^[9][10]

From the sense “facing” came “contrary”: Aeschylus speaks of a message contrary to good news, Euripides of opinions opposed to others, and Parmenides uses the neuter plural for opposites.^[4][9] Plato uses it of circular motions in opposite directions, and later writers of opposite poles and of planets in opposition.^[9][11] A medical writer uses it for “direct” as opposed to “oblique”.^[4]

The word belongs almost only to poetry and Ionic prose: Attic prose prefers ἐναντίος (enantíos), though Xenophon uses ἀντίος.^[4][12] Medieval vernacular Greek still knew the adjective, also with the accent on the last syllable.^[13]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of people standing face to face and of warriors advancing against the enemy.^[8][4]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod uses it of handfuls of corn bound top to bottom.^[9][11]
• 7th century BC – Tyrtaeus uses it of a warrior taking his stand against the foe.^[9][11]
• 6th–5th century BC – Parmenides uses the neuter plural for opposites, and Aeschylus speaks of a contrary message.^[9][4][11]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar calls competitors “the opposing ones”.^[4][10][11]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of armies and ships attacking head-on.^[4][9][11]
• 2nd century AD – Antyllus uses it in medicine for “direct”, as opposed to “oblique”.^[4][11]
• 2nd–3rd century AD – An inscription from Miletus uses the neuter plural of a god being present to help.^[4]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular Greek has αντίος (antíos).^[13]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Facing, so as to face someone, face to face; often with the genitive of the other person.^[4][9][8]
2. Coming to meet someone.^[9][8]
3. Advancing against an enemy, for a confrontation, or head-on, “from the opposite side”.^[9][4]
4. Opposite in position, and (astronomy) at the opposite pole or in opposition.^[9][11]
5. (masculine plural as a noun) Rivals, competitors in athletics or poetry.^[9][10]
6. Contrary, opposed (of words, opinions, reports); neuter plural: opposites, or words of reproof.^[4][9]
7. Reversed, going against the usual direction.^[9]
8. Of handfuls of stalks bound into sheaves: laid top to bottom.^[9]
9. Of an omen: adverse.^[9][10]
10. (medicine) Direct, as opposed to oblique.^[4]
11. (neuter ἀντίον (antíon) and ἀντία (antía) as adverbs) Facing, before, in the presence of; against; in reply.^[4][8]

Word family

• ἀντία (antía)
• ἀντιάζω (antiázō)
• ἀντιάω (antíaō)
• ἀντίον (antíon)
• ἐναντίος (enantíos)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b 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. ^ Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Βασικό Λεξικό της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής, Portal for the Greek Language, https://www.greek-language.gr
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, online ed., https://www.koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Gaisford, Thomas, ed. (1848), Etymologicum Magnum, Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b c d e f Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
10. ^ a b c d Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: De Gruyter
11. ^ a b c d e f g h Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
12. ^ Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
13. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr