Etymologically
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ἄγω

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /á.ɡɔː/[1]
  • IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈa.ɣo/[1]
  • IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈa.ɣo/[1]

Forms

ᾰ̓́γω (ágō) [1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *ágō, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti (“drives”), an old thematic present of the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- (“to drive, lead”).[1][2][3] Mycenaean already has the third person Mycenaean Greek a-ke.[2][4]

Exact cognates are Sanskrit अजति (ájati, “drives”), Avestan azaiti, Old Armenian ածեմ (acem, “I lead”), Latin agō (“to drive, do”), Old Irish -aig and Old Norse aka (“to drive, travel”).[2][5][3] The reduplicated aorist ⟨ἤγαγον⟩ is a Greek formation; the verb was perhaps first used only in the present.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Mycenaean tablets have a-ke.[2][4] In Homer it is above all used of living beings, “to lead, drive”, as opposed to φέρω (phérō), used of things carried: in the Iliad a woman is given to be led away and a tripod to be carried.[6][4][7]

Semantic evolution

In Homer and later it means to lead or bring persons and animals, to carry off captives and cattle as booty (ἄγειν καὶ φέρειν “to plunder”), and to lead or command an army.[6][8][1] From “lead” came many extended uses: to bring someone into a situation, to draw a line or a wall, to direct or manage, to keep a festival or celebrate a feast, to pass one's time, and to hold someone in honour.[8][1][9] The imperative ἄγε “come!” became an interjection.[8][10]

The Septuagint and the New Testament use it for bringing and leading, for taking someone into custody, and for keeping a feast.[9][10] It is the base of many words: ἀγών (agṓn, “gathering, contest”), ἀγωγή (agōgḗ), ἀγωγός (agōgós), and compounds in -αγωγός such as δημαγωγός (dēmagōgós) and παιδαγωγός (paidagōgós).[2][5] In Modern Greek άγω (ágo) is a learned word, used only in the present.[11]

Timeline

  • Mycenaean period – The tablets have a-ke.[2][4]
  • Homer – It is used for leading people and animals, as opposed to carrying things.[6][4]
  • 5th century BC – Herodotus and the tragedians use it for leading armies and bringing someone to a place.[8]
  • 5th–4th century BC – Attic writers use it for celebrating festivals and passing time.[8]
  • 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses it for bringing, leading and keeping feasts.[9]
  • 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for leading someone to a place or into custody.[10]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lead, bring, fetch, take along, especially living beings.[6][8]
  2. To carry off as captives or booty.[1][8]
  3. To lead, guide or command an army or a ship.[1][8]
  4. To bring someone into a situation or state.[8]
  5. To draw out a line or wall, or (geometry) to draw a line.[1][8]
  6. To direct, manage.[8]
  7. To keep or celebrate a festival; to pass time.[8][9]
  8. To regard, hold in a certain way, as in honour.[8][9]
  9. To weigh a certain amount.[1]
  10. (New Testament) To lead away, take into custody.[10]
  11. (imperative) ἄγε, “come!”, “come now!”.[8][10]

Word family

  • ἀγή (agḗ)
  • ἀγός (agós)
  • ἀγωγή (agōgḗ)
  • ἀγωγός (agōgós)
  • ἀγών (agṓn)
  • ἄκτωρ (áktōr)
  • ἀνάγω (anágō)
  • ἀντανάγω (antanágō)
  • ἀπάγω (apágō)
  • διάγω (diágō)
  • εἰσάγω (eiságō)
  • ἐνάγω (enágō)
  • ἐξάγω (exágō)
  • ἐπάγω (epágō)
  • ἀγέλη (agélē)
  • ἄγρα (ágrā)
  • ἀγρός (agrós)
  • ἀγωνία (agōníā)
  • ἄξιος (áxios)
  • Latin ago

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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 Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
  4. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
  5. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
  6. ^ a b c d Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Hesychius of Alexandria, Lexicon, ed. Kurt Latte (Α–Ο, Copenhagen 1953–1966) and Moritz Schmidt (Π–Ω, Jena 1858–1868)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  9. ^ a b c d e Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
  10. ^ a b c d e 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
  11. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki