ἄξιος

Forms

ᾰ̓́ξῐος (áxios) m (feminine ᾰ̓ξῐ́ᾱ, neuter ᾰ̓́ξῐον); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is generally thought to be from Ancient Greek ἄγω (ágō) in its sense "to weigh", from an earlier *ἄκτιος (*áktios), perhaps through a noun *ἄξις (*áxis, “weight”).^[2][3][4] The original meaning is thus "counterbalancing, weighing as much as".^[4][5] Chantraine accepts the derivation and compares Latin agīna, and Wiktionary compares the development of exāmen (“tongue of a balance; examining”) from the same root.^[3][1] Beekes keeps some doubts, because no other derivative of that verb in -τι- is known and the semantic link is not strong.^[2] He traces the verb to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it in the sense "of like value, worth as much as": a prize is "worth an ox" in the Iliad, and the Achaeans complain that all of them are not worth one Hector.^[4][6] Homer also has it of gifts and of a price, "goodly, of good value".^[4]

Semantic evolution

After Homer the meaning "of worth, deserving" developed, often with a moral sense.^[3][4] In Attic it could also mean the opposite of "precious": "good value for the money", cheap.^[4][6] The abstract noun is ἀξία (axíā, “value, merit”), the negative ἀνάξιος (anáxios), and some fifty compounds begin with ἀξιο- "worth -ing", such as ἀξιοθέατος (axiothéatos, “worth seeing”); they are not Homeric and are commoner in prose than in poetry.^[3] The verb ἀξιόω (axióō) is derived from it.^[2] In Koine Christian usage the word became the acclamation "worthy!" at the election of a bishop or patriarch,^[1] and Coptic borrowed it as ⲁⲝⲓⲟⲥ (aksios).^[1]

In medieval vernacular Greek it meant capable, skilful and also brave.^[7] Modern Greek άξιος (áxios) continues the ancient word in the sense "capable, fit", while its sense "worthy" is a learned revival.^[8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for what is worth as much as something else.^[4][6]
• 7th century BC – Callinus calls a brave man equal to the demigods.^[6][9]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus calls sights and deeds worthy of wonder.^[6][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it for goods sold cheaply.^[4][6][9]
• 4th century BC – Demosthenes uses it for funds sufficient for a war.^[4][6][9]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for a capable, skilful or brave man.^[7]
• Modern Greek – άξιος (áxios) means capable and, as a learned word, worthy.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Counterbalancing, weighing as much as, of like value with (with the genitive).^[4][6]
2. Of great value, goodly; of a price, good.^[4]
3. (Attic) Good value for the money, cheap.^[4][6]
4. Deserved, due, fitting.^[4]
5. Equal in rank: those of one's own standing, one's peers.^[4][6]
6. Sufficient for (with the genitive).^[4][6]
7. Worthy, estimable.^[4]
8. Worthy of, deserving (with the genitive, or with an infinitive); ἄξιός εἰμι, "I deserve to".^[4][6]
9. (Koine, Christianity) As an acclamation at the election of a bishop or patriarch: "worthy!".^[1]

Word family

• ἀντάξιος (antáxios)
• ἀξία (axíā)
• ἀξιόχρεως (axiókhreōs)
• ἀξιόω (axióō)
• ἀξιοπρεπής (axioprepḗs)
• ἀνάξιος (anáxios)
• ἀξιοθέατος (axiothéatos)

Related words

• ἄγω (ágō)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 d Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge