ἀπολαύω

Forms

ἀπολαύω (apolaúō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from ἀπο- (apo-) and a simple verb that is not attested, Proto-Hellenic *lāwō, from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂w- (“profit, gain, booty”).^[1][2] LSJ notes that the simple verb occurs only as a word explained by Aristarchus.^[3] It is usually connected with λεία (leíā) “booty”, and the same root is assumed in Latin lucrum (“gain”).^[2][4] Beekes explains the ⟨αυ⟩ of the verb as the outcome of *leh₂u- before a consonant, as in the aorist, generalised to the other tenses.^[2][4] Chantraine finds the vowel alternations unclear and the Greek ⟨α⟩ anomalous, and notes Meillet's view that the group was popular in origin.^[5] Wackernagel remarked that it was originally not a refined word.^[2]

Ancient grammarians such as Philoxenus derived it from a verb meaning “to wish”.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Herodotus has it with the genitive, of having the benefit of someone's justice.^[3][4] Thucydides and Euripides also use it.^[7][8]

Semantic evolution

In Classical prose it means to have the benefit of something, and to enjoy food, drink, leisure or pleasures, with the genitive.^[3][8] It is often ironical: to “benefit” from others' crimes or misfortunes, or to get only a share of something unwelcome.^[8] With a pejorative tone it means to take advantage of a person or a weakness, and Aeschines uses it of abusing one's authority.^[8][3] In comedy and in the novel it can refer to sexual enjoyment.^[4]

The Septuagint uses it for “to enjoy” in Proverbs and Wisdom.^[9] Its derivative ἀπόλαυσις (apólausis) “enjoyment” is attested from the 5th century BC.^[10] It continues as Modern Greek απολαύω (apoláfo), as a learned word.^[11][12]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of having the benefit of someone's justice.^[3][4]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Isocrates use it for enjoying goods and pleasures.^[3][4]
• 4th century BC – Aeschines and Demosthenes use it for taking advantage of authority or of silence.^[3][4]
• 1st century BC – 1st century AD – Philo uses the passive.^[4]
• Modern Greek – It survives as a learned verb.^[11]

Meanings

Verb

1. To have the benefit of something, gain an advantage from it.^[3][8]
2. To enjoy something, have pleasure from it, such as food, drink or leisure.^[3][8][9]
3. (ironic) To get one's reward from something bad; to share in another's misfortune.^[8]
4. (pejorative) To take advantage of a person or a situation.^[8][3]

Word family

• ἀπόλαυσις (apólausis)
• ἀπόλαυσμα (apólausma)
• ἀπολαυστικός (apolaustikós)
• ἀπολαυστός (apolaustós)

Related words

• λεία (leíā)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 g h Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
5. ^ 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. ^ Etygram: ancient etymologies of Greek words, CEPAM, Université Côte d'Azur, http://appsweb-cepam.unice.fr/etygram
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 Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ a b Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
10. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
11. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
12. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr