ἐγκονέω

Forms

ἐγκονέω (enkonéō), contract verb; epic uncontracted forms such as ἐγκονέουσαι, imperfect ἐγκονέεσκον, future ἐγκονήσω.^[1][2] The Mycenaean word ka-si-ko-no, a word for a kind of worker, has been connected with it.^[3][4]

Etymology

Beekes and Frisk call it an iterative-intensive verb, usually connected with Latin cōnor (“to exert oneself, try”), related to it as ποτέομαι (potéomai) is to πωτάομαι (pōtáomai).^[3][5][4] Chantraine and the DGE consider it equally possible that it is a denominative from Ancient Greek *ἐγκόνος (enkónos), a compound of ἐν (en, “in”) and the root of the Latin verb, which the feminine ἐγκονίς (enkonís, “servant”) would confirm.^[4][1] The root is Proto-Indo-European *ken- (“to be active, exert oneself”).^[3][6][4] Tremblay connects these words instead with Proto-Indo-European *ḱen- (“to rise”).^[3]

The same root is seen in διάκονος (diákonos, “servant”) and in the Hesychian glosses κονεῖν (koneîn, “to hurry, be active”) and κονηταί (konētaí, “attendants”).^[3][4][5] Pokorny and Beekes compare Celtic forms such as Middle Welsh digoni (“to make”) and Welsh digon (“can”).^[3][6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it describes women who are quick and busy at a task: in the Iliad and the Odyssey servants make up a bed in haste.^[7][1]

Semantic evolution

From the busy haste of servants it became a word of urging in tragedy and comedy, very often in the imperative or the hortative subjunctive, “hurry!”, “let us make haste!”, and often next to another verb of going.^[2][1][8] With an accusative of place it meant to hurry along a road, as in the Prometheus Bound.^[1] It is rare in prose.^[4]

Hellenistic and later epic used it of swift movement and, with an infinitive, of hurrying to do something, and Oppian and Quintus of Smyrna use it transitively, “to hasten” one's own death, “to pursue” a task eagerly, or to be eager for battle.^[1] Pindar has the adverb ἐγκονητί (enkonētí, “quickly”), and the Suda the noun ἐγκονίς (enkonís, “servant woman”).^[3][4]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it of servants busy making a bed.^[7][1]
• 6th–5th century BC – The Prometheus Bound attributed to Aeschylus uses it with an accusative of the road.^[1][9]
• 5th century BC – Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes use it in commands such as “let us hurry”.^[1][2]
• 3rd century BC – Apollonius of Rhodes uses the participle of hurrying feet.^[1]
• 2nd century AD – Oppian uses it transitively, “to hasten” one's death.^[1]
• 4th century AD – Themistius pairs it with σπεύδω (speúdō).^[1]

Meanings

Verb

1. To be quick and active, to busy oneself; in commands, to hurry, make haste.^[2][1][7]
2. To move swiftly; with an infinitive, to hasten to do something.^[1]
3. With an accusative of place, to hurry along (a road).^[1]
4. (transitive, late epic) To hasten (something); to pursue eagerly; to be eager for.^[1][8]

Word family

• ἐγκονητί (enkonētí)
• ἐγκονίς (enkonís)

Related words

• διάκονος (diákonos)
• διακονέω (diakonéō)
• Latin cōnor

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
2. ^ a b c d Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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
5. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
6. ^ a b Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
7. ^ a b c Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
8. ^ a b Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli
9. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux