ἱστορικός

Forms

ῐ̔στορῐκός (historikós) m (feminine ῐ̔στορῐκή, neuter ῐ̔στορῐκόν); first/second declension^[1] Adverb ἱστορικῶς (historikôs), scientifically, accurately, historically.^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historíā, “inquiry”) + -ικός (-ikós).^[1][3] The noun comes from ἵστωρ (hístōr, “one who knows, witness”), which Beekes derives from an agent noun Proto-Indo-European *u̯id-tōr of the root Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”), the root of οἶδα (oîda, “I know”).^[4] According to Beekes, the derivatives ἱστορέω (historéō) and the Ionic noun spread over the Greek world together with the science and philosophy of Ionia.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first text with the word is Plato's Sophist, where it describes imitation that rests on knowledge: “informed”, “scientific”.^[2][5][6]

Semantic evolution

Aristotle used it of people who are well informed about something, its adverb for what is done accurately or scientifically, and the masculine as a noun, “historian”, in the Poetics.^[2][5] From the Hellenistic period it meant “belonging to history, historical”: Polybius and Plutarch use it of narratives, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus of historical works and a historical style.^[5][2] Plutarch also called one king the most learned in history of all kings.^[2][5]

Latin borrowed it as historicus.^[7][1] English historical (early 15th century) was formed from that Latin adjective with -al, and historic (1660s) is probably a back-formation from historical.^[8] Medieval vernacular Greek kept the ancient adjective and used the masculine for a writer of history.^[9] Modern Greek ιστορικός (istorikós) is learned; its newer senses, such as “momentous”, follow French historique.^[3]

Timeline

• 5th–4th century BC – Plato's Sophist uses it of imitation based on knowledge.^[2][5][10]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of well-informed people and, as a noun, for a historian.^[2][5][10]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius applies it to narratives, meaning “historical”.^[5][10]
• 1st century BC – Dionysius of Halicarnassus speaks of historical works.^[2][10]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Plutarch uses it of people interested in history.^[2][5][10]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts keep the adjective and use the masculine for a historian.^[9]
• Early 15th century – English historical is formed from Latin historicus.^[8]
• 1660s – English historic appears, probably from historical.^[8]
• Modern Greek – The learned ιστορικός (istorikós) means “historical” and “historian”.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Based on inquiry: exact, scientific; of people, well-informed about something.^[2][5]
2. Of people, interested in or learned in history.^[5][2]
3. Belonging to history, historical.^[2][5]

Noun

1. A writer of history, historian.^[2][5][1]

Related words

• ἱστορία (historíā)
• ἵστωρ (hístōr)
• Latin historicus
• English historical
• English historic

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
4. ^ a b 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
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ Saalfeld, Günther Alexander (1874), Index Graecorum vocabulorum in linguam latinam translatorum, Berlin: Weidmann
8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge