ἀτέλεια

Forms

ἀτέλειᾰ (atéleia) f (genitive ἀτελείᾱς); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-, “without”) + τέλος (télos, “tax; end”) + -ια (-ia),^[1] and serves as the abstract noun of the adjective ἀτελής (atelḗs).^[2][1] The two meanings of the word follow the two meanings of τέλος (télos): “exemption” goes with its sense “tax, public charge”, and “incompleteness” with its sense “end, completion”.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest texts already have the sense of release from an obligation: in Aeschylus's Eumenides it is used of an immunity concerning the gods, and Herodotus uses the Ionic form ἀτελείη for exemption from military service and tribute, and for the privileges that Delphi gave Croesus.^[4][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Athens and other cities the word was a term of public law: an exemption from taxes, customs dues or the costly public services called liturgies (leitourgía), granted to citizens or given as an honour to foreigners, kings and whole communities, often together with προξενία (proxenía) and front seats at festivals.^[6][7][4] Demosthenes' speech against Leptines defends such grants, and inscriptions list exemptions from import and export duties or the tax paid by resident aliens.^[6][3] The lexicographers gloss it as “freedom from liturgies”.^[8][9][10] The phrase “out of exemption” meant free of charge.^[3][4]

Aristotle and Theophrastus used it in the other sense, the incompleteness or imperfection of something that has not reached its end, as opposed to perfection (teleiótēs).^[4][3] In the Septuagint it appears once, in the First Book of Maccabees, for days of immunity.^[11][4]

Modern Greek has the learned word ατέλεια (atéleia) in both senses: an imperfection or defect, and a privileged exemption from taxes or duties.^[12]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it in the Eumenides for a release from a duty.^[4][3]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses the Ionic form for exemption from military service and tribute.^[4][5]
• 4th century BC – Demosthenes argues about grants of exemption from liturgies, and Aristotle uses the word for imperfection.^[4][3]
• Modern Greek – The learned word ατέλεια (atéleia) means an imperfection and a tax exemption.^[12]

Meanings

Noun

1. Exemption from public burdens such as taxes, customs duties, military service or liturgies.^[3][5][4]
2. Generally, immunity or freedom from a duty or expense; ἐξ ἀτελείας, “free of charge”.^[5][3][4]
3. Incompleteness, imperfection.^[3][4]

Related words

• ἀτελής (atelḗs)
• τέλος (télos)
• ἰσοτέλεια (isotéleia)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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 i j k Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
5. ^ a b c d Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ a b Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth, eds. (2002–2010), Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Smith, William; Wayte, William; Marindin, G. E., eds. (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, 3rd ed., London: John Murray
8. ^ Hesychius of Alexandria, Lexicon, ed. Kurt Latte (Α–Ο, Copenhagen 1953–1966) and Moritz Schmidt (Π–Ω, Jena 1858–1868)
9. ^ Photius, Lexicon, ed. Christos Theodoridis, vol. 1 (Α–Δ) (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1982); ed. Richard Porson (Cambridge, 1822)
10. ^ Lexica Segueriana, in Immanuel Bekker, ed. (1814), Anecdota Graeca I, Berlin: Nauck
11. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
12. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki