ἔμπεδος

Forms

ἔμπεδος (émpedos) m or f (neuter ἔμπεδον); second declension^[1] An extended form ἐμπέδιος is found at Cyme.^[2]

Etymology

It is a hypostasis of a phrase meaning “in the ground”, formed from Ancient Greek ἐν (en) + πέδον (pédon, “ground”).^[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary instead analyses it as a prefix and the stem of πούς (poús, “foot”), “sure-footed”.^[1] The second part is from Proto-Indo-European *ped- (“foot”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Homer it means firmly set in the ground, of a wall and of a bed, and more often steadfast or unshaken, of strength, mind and heart; the neuter ἔμπεδον is a frequent Homeric adverb, “firmly, without ceasing”.^[4][7][3]

Semantic evolution

The sense moved from what stands firm to what lasts: lasting watch and care in Homer, secure wealth and achievement in Solon and Pindar, unchanging thoughts in Theognis and Sophocles, stable being in Parmenides and Empedocles.^[4][7][3] It also meant sure or valid, of signs, promises and oaths.^[7][4] Its derivatives belong to the language of law and oaths: ἐμπεδόω (empedóō) “to confirm, ratify” in Attic, Elean ἐμπεδέω “to keep faith with an oath”, and ἐμπεδορκέω (empedorkéō) “to abide by an oath” in Herodotus and Xenophon.^[3][2]

Modern Greek revived it as a learned word, Modern Greek έμπεδος (émpedos), for a military unit that stays at its base to train recruits, perhaps after English base regiment.^[8]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for a firm wall and for steadfast strength and mind.^[4][7]
• 7th–6th century BC – Solon uses it for secure wealth.^[7][5]
• 6th century BC – Theognis uses it for unchanging thoughts.^[7][5]
• 6th–5th century BC – Parmenides uses it for stable being, and Pindar for lasting achievement.^[7][5]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses the derivative ἐμπεδορκέω, and Sophocles uses the adjective for steadfast persons and feelings.^[3][4][5]
• 3rd century BC – Apollonius of Rhodes uses it for steadfast persons and fixed places in the heavens.^[7][5]
• Modern Greek – The learned έμπεδος (émpedos) names a training unit that stays at base.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Firmly set in the ground, firm, secure.^[4][7]
2. Kept in place, steady.^[7]
3. Intact, unimpaired, sound: of the body, strength or mind, and of property.^[7][4]
4. Steadfast, constant, lasting; of time, continual.^[4][7]
5. Sure, certain, valid: of signs, promises and oaths.^[7][4]
6. (neuter ἔμπεδον as adverb) Firmly; continually, without ceasing.^[4][3]

Word family

• ἐμπεδόω (empedóō)
• ἐμπεδορκέω (empedorkéō)

Related words

• πέδον (pédon)
• πούς (poús)

Usage notes

A rare homograph ἔμπεδος, from πέδη (pédē, “fetter”), means “fettered” in Lucian's Lexiphanes.^[4][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
3. ^ a b c d e f 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ 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
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki