ἔξω

Forms

ἔξω (éxō) (comparative ἐξωτέρω, superlative ἐξωτάτω)^[1] Dialect forms are Laconian ἐξεῖ (exeî) (a gloss of Hesychius), Cretan ἔξοι (éxoi) and Lesbian ἐξός (exós).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is an adverb from Ancient Greek ἐξ (ex, “out of”), formed with the ending -ω (-ō) as εἴσω (eísō) is formed from εἰς (eis) and ἄνω (ánō) from ἀνά (aná).^[4][2][3] The dialect forms (see Forms) took their endings from other adverbs: the Laconian one from ἐκεῖ (ekeî), the Cretan one from forms such as ἔνδοι (éndoi), and the Lesbian one from ἐκτός (ektós).^[2]

The preposition ἐξ, before consonants ἐκ (ek), goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs (“out”) or *h₁eḱs: the aspirate of ἔσχατος (éskhatos) seems to require the first.^[3][5] It has exact counterparts in Italic and Celtic, such as Latin ex, while Baltic and Slavic have forms with an unexplained i-, such as Lithuanian ìš.^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Homer on, at first with verbs of motion: in the Iliad a man's heart “leaps out of his breast” (ἔξω στηθέων ἐκθρῴσκει).^[4][6] Homer also uses it as a preposition with the genitive, as when a spear is drawn out of the flesh, and without motion, “outside”, in the Odyssey.^[4][6]

Semantic evolution

In Classical prose the adverb was often made a noun with the article: τὸ ἔξω “the outside”, τὰ ἔξω “what lies outside” the walls or house, and in Thucydides “foreign affairs”; οἱ ἔξω “those outside” could mean exiles.^[4][6] With the genitive it marked things beyond reach or beyond the point: “out of range” of arrows in Thucydides, “out of one's senses” in Pindar, “outside the subject” in Isocrates and Aristotle.^[4] It could also mean “beyond” a point of time, and, in Herodotus and Thucydides, “except” or “besides”.^[4] A proverb told people to keep their foot ἔξω πηλοῦ, “out of the mud”, that is clear of trouble.^[4][7]

In the New Testament οἱ ἔξω are those outside the Christian community.^[4][8] Polybius says that Philip's cause is ἔξω, “played out”.^[4] It gave the adverb ἔξωθεν (éxōthen) “from outside” and the comparative and superlative ἐξωτέρω (exōtérō) and ἐξωτάτω (exōtátō).^[2][6]

Medieval vernacular Greek kept the word and also had the forms έξου (éxou), from the 14th century, and όξω (óxo).^[9][10] It survives as Modern Greek έξω (éxo) “out, outside”.^[11][9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it of motion out of a place and as a preposition with the genitive.^[4][6]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses ἔξω φρενῶν, “out of one's mind”.^[4]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it to mean “except”.^[4]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides uses τὰ ἔξω for foreign affairs and οἱ ἔξω for exiles.^[4]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses ἔξω τοῦ πράγματος of what lies outside the matter in hand.^[4]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius says that Philip's cause is ἔξω, played out.^[4]
• 14th century – The vernacular form έξου (éxou) appears.^[9]
• Modern Greek – έξω (éxo) continues it.^[11][9]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (with verbs of motion) out, outwards, out of a place.^[4][6]
2. (of position) outside, on the outside; abroad.^[4][6]
3. (with the article) τὸ ἔξω the outside; τὰ ἔξω outside things, external or foreign affairs; οἱ ἔξω those outside, exiles, in the New Testament non-believers.^[4][8]

Preposition

1. (with the genitive) Out of, outside of a place.^[4][6]
2. (with the genitive, figurative) beyond, away from: out of range, beyond belief, out of one's senses, irrelevant to the matter.^[4]
3. (with the genitive, of time) Beyond, past.^[4]
4. (with the genitive) except, besides.^[4]

Word family

• ἐξώκοιτος (exṓkoitos)
• ἐξωτικός (exōtikós)
• ἔξωθεν (éxōthen)
• ἐξωτέρω (exōtérō)
• ἐξωτάτω (exōtátō)

Related words

• ἐκ (ek)
• εἴσω (eísō)
• ἐκτός (ektós)
• Latin ex

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b 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
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ Adler, Ada, ed. (1928–1938), Suidae Lexicon, 5 vols, Leipzig: Teubner
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 c d Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
11. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki