ὀνομάζω

Forms

ὀνομάζω (onomázō) ^[1] Doric and Aeolic ὀνυμάζω (onumázō) (Pindar, Alcaeus), with the Aeolic and Doric vowel of ὄνυμα (ónuma).^[2][3] Ionic οὐνομάζω (ounomázō).^[4]

Etymology

It is a denominative verb from ὄνομα (ónoma) “name”, with the suffix -άζω (-ázō).^[2][1][3] Beside it Greek had the poetic ὀνομαίνω (onomaínō), with the same meaning.^[2][5]

The noun is the old Indo-European word for “name”.^[2] Beekes traces it to Proto-Indo-European *h₃néh₃mn̥ (“name”), with its initial ο- from the laryngeal, as in Old Armenian անուն (anun) and Phrygian onoman.^[2] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is frequent in Homer, where it means to address someone or call them by name, and to mention or list things (the gifts that Agamemnon promises Achilles).^[6][5] The Homeric line ἔπος τ’ ἔφατ’ ἔκ τ’ ὀνόμαζεν “he spoke a word and addressed him” is used even when the name is not known, so that it means no more than “addressed”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

From Hesiod and the lyric poets on, the verb means to give a name: to name a god, a person, a place or an invention, and in the passive to be called something.^[3][5] Herodotus has Croesus call out “Solon” three times, and the orators use it for uttering words with emphasis.^[5] In philosophy it became a term for naming and using a word: Empedocles says that “nature” is only a name that men give to things, and Plato discusses names and naming in the Cratylus.^[5]

In the Septuagint it translates Hebrew verbs for naming and mentioning, and in the New Testament Jesus “named” twelve of his followers apostles.^[7][8] The papyri of Roman Egypt use it for nominating someone to a public office.^[5] The verb never fell out of use: medieval vernacular Greek has it for calling and naming, and Modern Greek ονομάζω (onomázo) means “to name, call” and “to appoint”.^[9][10]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses it for addressing a person by name and for listing gifts.^[6][5]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar and Aeschylus use it for giving a name.^[5][3][11]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for calling out a name.^[5][11]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato discusses naming in the Cratylus.^[5][11]
• 1st century AD – The Gospels use it for giving the apostles their name.^[8]
• 3rd century AD – Papyri use it for nominating someone to an office.^[5]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular Greek uses it for calling and naming.^[9]

Meanings

Verb

1. To address or call someone by name.^[6][5]
2. To speak of by name, mention; of things, to list or specify; also to promise.^[6][5]
3. To name, call, give a name to (with a double accusative); passive, to be called.^[5][3][8]
4. To utter a name or a word.^[5]
5. To dedicate something to a god.^[5]
6. (Koine) To nominate to an office.^[5]

Word family

• ἀντονομάζω (antonomázō)
• ἀνωνόμαστος (anōnómastos)
• διονομάζω (dionomázō)
• ἐξονομάζω (exonomázō)
• ἐπονομάζω (eponomázō)
• κατονομάζω (katonomázō)
• μετονομάζω (metonomázō)
• ὀνομαστός (onomastós)
• παρονομάζω (paronomázō)
• προσονομάζω (prosonomázō)
• ἀνονόμαστος (anonómastos)

Related words

• ὀνομασία (onomasía)
• ὀνομαστί (onomastí)
• ὀνομαστικός (onomastikós)
• ὄνομα (ónoma)
• ὀνομαίνω (onomaínō)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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
3. ^ a b c d e Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
4. ^ Дворецкий, И. Х. (1958), Древнегреческо-русский словарь, Moscow: ГИС
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e Cunliffe, Richard John (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect, London: Blackie and Son
7. ^ Abbott-Smith, G. (1922), A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark
8. ^ a b c 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 Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
10. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
11. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge