ἁρπαγή

Forms

ἁρπαγή (harpagḗ) f (genitive ἁρπαγῆς); first declension^[1] Doric ἁρπαγά, in Euripides and Callimachus.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek ἁρπάζω (harpázō, “to snatch, seize”).^[1][3][4][5]

Beekes takes the verb as a denominative from a stem ⟨ἁρπαγ-⟩, which may be related to ἅρπη (hárpē, “sickle”).^[6] The sickle word is usually derived from Proto-Indo-European *serp- (“to prune, cut”), and Pokorny puts the verb under the same root, with Latin sarpō (“to prune”).^[6][7] Beekes finds the etymology far from certain: the suffix ⟨-αγ-⟩ cannot be explained in Indo-European terms and is found in substrate words, and the zero grade of the root would be expected to give ⟨ῥαπ-⟩.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Solon, of men who steal by robbery.^[2][5] Some editors read ἀφαρπαγή there.^[5]

Semantic evolution

In Aeschylus, Herodotus, Euripides and Thucydides the word means the plundering of a place, especially by soldiers, and the robbery of things and money.^[1][2] Thucydides also uses it for foraging.^[1] It also meant the carrying off of a person, an abduction, from Aeschylus and Herodotus on.^[1] From the act it passed to its object: plunder, booty, and the prey of dogs and beasts.^[1][2][5] The tragedians use it for the ravages of birds of prey, the Sphinx and avenging spirits.^[1]

The Septuagint uses it for robbery and for plunder, and the New Testament for the seizure of Christians' property in persecution and for what is gained by greed.^[8][5] A papyrus of the 6th century AD uses it for the seizure of property.^[2]

Medieval vernacular Greek used αρπαγή (arpagí) for plunder, theft, abduction, usurpation and violence.^[9] Modern Greek αρπαγή (arpají) is a learned word for robbery and abduction, used of the abduction of Helen and of Persephone.^[10]

Timeline

• 7th–6th century BC – Solon uses it of men who steal by robbery.^[2][5]
• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it for plunder, prey and abduction.^[1][2]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for the seizure of an object, and Thucydides for foraging.^[1][2]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Callimachus records a proverb about the plunder of Connarus.^[2]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for the plundering of a camp.^[2]
• 6th century AD – A papyrus uses it for the seizure of property.^[2]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular Greek uses αρπαγή (arpagí) for plunder, theft and abduction.^[9]
• Modern Greek – αρπαγή (arpají) is a learned word for robbery and abduction.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. Plundering, pillage, robbery; of soldiers, also foraging.^[1][2]
2. Taking by force, theft of things, money or property.^[1][2]
3. The carrying off of a person, abduction; rape.^[1]
4. That which is seized: booty, plunder; the prey of dogs or beasts.^[1][2][5]
5. (poetic) Ravaging, by birds of prey, the Sphinx or avenging spirits.^[1]

Related words

• ἁρπάζω (harpázō)
• ἅρπη (hárpē)
• ἅρπαξ (hárpax)

Usage notes

The Atticist lexica distinguish the oxytone ἁρπαγή, the act of seizing, from the barytone ἁρπάγη (harpágē), the tool.^[11][12] Modern Greek keeps αρπάγη (arpáji) for a hook, from Hellenistic ἁρπάγη “rake”.^[10]

The proverb “the plunder of Connarus” was said of something to be had for nothing.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
3. ^ Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
5. ^ a b c d e f g Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
6. ^ a b c 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
7. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
8. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
9. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ Photius, Lexicon, ed. Christos Theodoridis, vol. 1 (Α–Δ) (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1982); ed. Richard Porson (Cambridge, 1822)
12. ^ Lexica Segueriana, in Immanuel Bekker, ed. (1814), Anecdota Graeca I, Berlin: Nauck