ἀσχολία

Forms

ἀσχολίᾱ (askholíā) f (genitive ἀσχολίᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a derivation from Ancient Greek ἄσχολος (áskholos, “busy, without leisure”), with the abstract suffix -ία (-íā).^[1] The adjective is the negative of σχολή (skholḗ, “leisure”).^[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first occurs in Pindar's first Isthmian Ode, where the poet will set his Theban theme above any other business.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In Classical prose it is the opposite of leisure: Thucydides sets it against quiet, and Plato and Aristotle against σχολή (skholḗ), the leisure that philosophy needs.^[3][4] It meant both the engagements that keep one busy and the want of time they cause, and in Plato and Xenophon the trouble that something gives, as when the body hinders the pursuit of knowledge.^[5][3] A papyrus of the 1st century BC uses it for an office or function.^[3]

In Modern Greek ασχολία (ascholía), a learned word, means an occupation or activity that takes up one's time.^[2]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it of a business that must come second to his ode.^[3][4]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides contrasts it with quiet, and Antiphon uses it of having no time for something.^[3][5]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of the body's hindrance to philosophy, and Xenophon of the trouble one causes another.^[3][5]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle opposes it to σχολή (skholḗ), leisure.^[3]
• 1st century BC – A papyrus uses it for an office or function.^[3]
• Modern Greek – The learned word ασχολία (ascholía) means an occupation.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. Occupation, business, an engagement that keeps one busy.^[3][5]
2. Lack of leisure or of time; with an infinitive, lack of opportunity to do something.^[3][5]
3. Trouble, hindrance caused to someone.^[3][5]
4. (Koine) An office or function.^[3]

Related words

• ἄσχολος (áskholos)
• σχολή (skholḗ)
• ἀσχολέω (askholéō)

Usage notes

Plato and Xenophon use the phrase ἀσχολίαν ἄγειν “to be busy, to have no leisure”, and Aristotle sets the word against σχολή when he discusses which activities serve leisure.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
5. ^ a b c d e f Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press