ἐμβαίνω

Forms

ἐμβαίνω (embaínō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) + βαίνω (baínō, “to go, step”).^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it means to step on something (a slain deer, the bodies of the dead), to go on board a ship, to step into the fight, and to press on, as Antilochus urges his horses.^[4][5][6] The perfect describes a warrior standing on his chariot.^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Heraclitus used it in his saying that one cannot step twice into the same river (ποταμῷ οὐκ ἔστιν δὶς τῷ αὐτῷ ἐμβῆναι).^[5][6] Pindar has the figurative senses of walking in a father's footsteps and embarking on great deeds.^[7][5] Aeschylus uses it of a god trampling on the Persian race.^[5][6] In prose it means to enter on an activity, a danger or a war, in Plato, Xenophon and Polybius.^[5][6] The first aorist is causative, to put people or flocks on board.^[5][6]

In the New Testament it is used almost always of getting into a boat.^[8] Through medieval εμπαίνω (empaíno) it became Modern Greek μπαίνω (béno) “to go in, enter”, with the loss of the unstressed initial vowel.^[9][3][10]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it for stepping on something, going on board and pressing on.^[4][5]
• 6th–5th century BC – Heraclitus says that one cannot step twice into the same river.^[5][6][11]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for following in a father's footsteps.^[7][11]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Xenophon use it for entering on an activity or into danger.^[5][6][11]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it for embarking on a war.^[6][11]
• Modern Greek – The word survives as μπαίνω (béno) “to enter”.^[9][3]

Meanings

Verb

1. To step in or on, set foot on; to trample on.^[5][6][4]
2. To go on, press on; of a god, to step into the fight.^[5][4][6]
3. To go on board, embark.^[5][6][8]
4. (figurative) To enter on, undertake an activity, a war or a danger.^[5][6][7]
5. (perfect) To stand on or be mounted on a chariot; to be fixed on something.^[5][6][4]
6. (causative first aorist) To put on board, make someone step in.^[5][6]

Related words

• βαίνω (baínō)
• ἐμβατεύω (embateúō)
• Modern Greek μπαίνω (béno)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Βικιλεξικό, the Greek Wiktionary, https://el.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b c Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
4. ^ a b c d e f Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ a b c Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: De Gruyter
8. ^ a b 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
9. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
10. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
11. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge