ἐκλείπω

Forms

ἐκλείπω (ekleípō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐκ- (ek-, “out”) + λείπω (leípō, “to leave”).^[1][2] The simple verb is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave behind”), and its aorist ἔλιπον (élipon) has exact parallels in Sanskrit and Armenian.^[3] Cognates include Sanskrit रिणक्ति (riṇákti) and Latin linquō (“to leave”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Babiniotis dates it from the 6th century BC, in Theognis.^[2][4] Pindar uses it intransitively, saying that a race will never fail.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The tragedians and Herodotus use it transitively: to leave out and pass over in speech, to forsake a homeland, an alliance, an oath or a post, and to give up a tyranny.^[6][7][8] Herodotus has the elliptic “leave the city for the heights” of fleeing a city.^[6][7] Intransitively it means to cease or to fail, and Thucydides uses it of the sun or moon “failing”, that is, being eclipsed, the sense behind the noun ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis).^[6][8] Plato and Sophocles use it for dying, with or without βίον “life”.^[8][9]

In Koine the intransitive uses prevail: a papyrus of 258 BC says the travel money has run out, the Septuagint uses it of failing and dying, and in Luke 22:32 Jesus prays that Peter's faith may not fail.^[10] Modern Greek keeps it as the learned εκλείπω (eklípo), “to cease to exist, to disappear”.^[11][2]

Timeline

• 6th century BC – Theognis uses it.^[2][4][7]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it intransitively, of a race that will not fail, and Aeschylus of leaving out things in a speech.^[5][6][7]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of abandoning a country, and Thucydides of an eclipse of the sun.^[6][7]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses the perfect participle for the dead.^[8][7]
• 3rd century BC – A papyrus of 258 BC uses it of money running out.^[10]
• 1st century AD – Luke uses it of faith that fails.^[10]
• Modern Greek – The learned εκλείπω (eklípo) means “to cease to exist”.^[11]

Meanings

Verb

1. To leave out, omit, pass over.^[6][1]
2. To forsake, abandon (a place, an ally, an oath, a post); to give up.^[6][7]
3. (intransitive) To leave off, cease; to fail, run out, be wanting.^[8][10]
4. (intransitive, of the sun or moon) To be eclipsed.^[6][1]
5. (intransitive) To die, and οἱ ἐκλελοιπότες the dead.^[8][10]

Word family

• ἀνέκλειπτος (anékleiptos)
• ἐκλειπτικός (ekleiptikós)
• ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis)
• ἐκλιπής (eklipḗs)
• συνεκλείπω (sunekleípō)
• ἐκλοιπάζω (ekloipázō)

Related words

• λείπω (leípō)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
3. ^ 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 Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
5. ^ a b Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: De Gruyter
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
8. ^ a b c d e f Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert (1889), An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli
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. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki