ἄριστος

Pronunciation

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

Forms

ᾰ̓́ρῐστος (áristos) m (feminine ᾰ̓ρῐ́στη, neuter ᾰ̓́ρῐστον); first/second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is a primary superlative belonging to the comparative ἀρείων (areíōn, “better”).^[2][3][4] Frisk relates it in the first place to the prefix ἀρι- (ari-, “very”) and to ἀρετή (aretḗ, “excellence”).^[3] Beekes finds the link with the prefix improbable and suggests a connection with ἀραρίσκω (ararískō, “to fit, join”), so that it would mean “the fittest”, which Frisk thought hypothetical.^[3][2] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *h₂éristos (“fittest”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“to fit”).^[1]

A Byzantine etymological dictionary derived it from Ἄρης (Árēs), as “the one strong in battle”.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Iliad it is the best in war and the foremost among men, such as “the best of the Achaeans”, and in the plural the chiefs.^[6][7] a god is called “highest and best of the gods”.^[6][7][4]

Semantic evolution

It serves as the superlative of ἀγαθός (agathós, “good”), “best” in every sense: best in ability, strength or skill, bravest, best in rank or birth, “noblest”, best in character or beauty, and of things the best of their kind.^[7][8][1] Herodotus opposes the company of “the best men” to the people, the origin of the political term ἀριστοκρατία (aristokratía).^[7] Plato often has the ironic address ὦ ἄριστε, “my good friend”.^[8] It was also the first element of many personal names, such as Ἀρίστων.^[2]

Its derivatives include ἀριστεύω (aristeúō, “to be the best”), ἀριστεύς (aristeús, “chieftain”) and ἀριστεία (aristeía, “deed of valour”).^[2][3] Modern Greek άριστος (áristos) is a learned word for “excellent, best”.^[9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for the best warriors and the chiefs.^[6][7]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus contrasts the best men with the people.^[7]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses ὦ ἄριστε as a polite or ironic address.^[8]
• 9th century AD – A Byzantine etymological dictionary derives it from Ares.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. best; superlative of ἀγαθός (agathós).^[7][1]
2. Best in ability or strength; bravest.^[8][6]
3. Best in birth and rank, noblest, or (plural, as a noun) the chiefs, the nobles.^[8][7]
4. Best in character or beauty.^[8]
5. Best of its kind, of things.^[8][7]
6. (vocative, ὦ ἄριστε) My good friend.^[8]

Word family

• ἀριστεύς (aristeús)
• ἀριστεύω (aristeúō)
• ὤριστος (ṓristos)

Related words

• ἀρείων (areíōn)
• ἀρετή (aretḗ)
• ἀριστοκρατία (aristokratía)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
5. ^ a b Etygram: ancient etymologies of Greek words, CEPAM, Université Côte d'Azur, http://appsweb-cepam.unice.fr/etygram
6. ^ a b c d Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
9. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki