ἀπόδειξις

Forms

ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis) f (genitive ἀποδείξεως); third declension^[1][2] Ionic ἀπόδεξις (apódexis).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeíknumi, “to show forth, prove”) + -σις (-sis), a verbal noun.^[1][2][3] The verb is ἀπο- (apo-) with δείκνυμι (deíknumi, “to show”), whose root, Proto-Indo-European *deiḱ- (“to show”), is also that of Latin dīcō (“to say”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in the 5th century BC: Herodotus opens his work by calling it the “setting forth” (Ionic ἀπόδεξις) of his inquiry, Euripides uses it for a revealing of what lies beneath the earth, and Thucydides for an account of the Athenian empire.^[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In the orators and Plato it most often means “proof”, an argument showing that something is so, as in the phrase ἄνευ ἀποδείξεως “without proof”.^[2][3][6] Aristotle made it a term of logic: demonstration, deductive proof by syllogism, opposed to inductive proof (ἐπαγωγή); the Epicureans and Stoics took the term over.^[2][3] From the middle of the verb, Herodotus also uses it for the display or achievement of great works.^[2][6] Other uses were a public show of one's character or ability, a parade or inspection of an army (Xenophon), an examination of pupils or ephebes, and the appointment of envoys in an inscription from Delphi.^[3][2][6]

Paul speaks of his preaching as a “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).^[6] The word was borrowed into Coptic ⲁⲡⲟⲇⲉⲓⲝⲓⲥ (apodeixis), first in a Sahidic manuscript of about AD 300.^[7] It continued through medieval Greek, and the Modern Greek απόδειξη (apódeixi) is learned in the sense “proof”.^[8][9]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Herodotus calls his work the “setting forth” of his inquiry, and Thucydides uses it for an account of the empire.^[2][3][6]
• 5th–4th century BC – Gorgias and Plato use it for proof.^[6][2]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for deductive proof, demonstration.^[2][6]
• 3rd century BC – An inscription from Delphi uses it for the appointment of envoys.^[2][6]
• 1st century AD – Paul uses it of the demonstration of the Spirit.^[6]
• About AD 300 – A Sahidic Coptic manuscript has the borrowing ⲁⲡⲟⲇⲓⲝⲓⲥ (apodixis).^[7]
• Modern Greek – The learned απόδειξη (apódeixi) means “proof”.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A showing forth, display (of character or ability); a parade, inspection of an army.^[2][3]
2. A setting forth, presentation, publication.^[2][3]
3. An explanatory account, exposition.^[2][3]
4. A proof, argument showing that something is so.^[2][3][6]
5. (logic) Demonstration, deductive proof by syllogism.^[2][3]
6. An achievement, display (of great works).^[2][3][6]
7. An appointment (to an office).^[2][6]
8. A test by examination (of pupils or ephebes).^[2]

Related words

• ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeíknumi)
• δείκνυμι (deíknumi)
• Modern Greek απόδειξη (apódeixi)

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 q r s t Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
7. ^ a b Database and Dictionary of Greek Loanwords in Coptic (DDGLC), Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Leipzig
8. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki