Etymologically
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ἄριστος

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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)

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