Etymologically
Log in

ὁρίζω

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 19:31. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /ho.ríz.dɔː/[1]
  • IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /oˈri.zo/[1]
  • IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /oˈri.zo/[1]

Forms

ὁρίζω (horízō) [1]

Etymology

It is derived from ὅρος (hóros, “boundary, limit”) with the verbal suffix -ίζω (-ízō).[1][2][3] Ionic has ⟨οὐρίζω⟩, from Ionic ⟨οὖρος⟩.[2][4]

Ὅρος goes back to ⟨*ϝόρϝος⟩, as Mycenaean ⟨wo-wo⟩ shows, and may be the same formation as Latin urvum (“curved part of a plough”), with Latin urvāre (“to mark out a boundary with a furrow”); within Greek it is probably related to ἐρύω (erúō, “to draw”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

BDAG lists Aeschylus as the first to use it.[5] Herodotus has the Ionic form for a river or lake that divides one land from another, as the Nile separates Asia from Libya.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is to form a boundary, or to mark or fix the boundaries of a country.[2][4] From this it came to mean to separate, to limit or restrict, to determine or decide, and in philosophy to define: Plato and Aristotle use it for defining a concept.[2][3] Astronomers called the circle that divides the visible from the invisible hemisphere ὁρίζων κύκλος, the source of English horizon.[4]

In the Septuagint it means to mark out a boundary and to ordain, and the New Testament uses it for determining and appointing.[6][5] Its derivatives include ὁρισμός (horismós, “definition”) and ἀόριστος (aóristos, “undefined, aorist”).[1][3] Modern Greek ορίζω (orízo) means to define, to fix a date or price, and to appoint.[7]

Timeline

  • 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it.[5]
  • 5th century BC – Herodotus uses οὐρίζω for a river or lake that forms a border.[4][2]
  • 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for defining a term.[2][3]
  • Hellenistic period – Astronomers name the horizon ὁρίζων κύκλος.[4]
  • 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for appointing.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To form a boundary; to divide or separate one land from another.[2][4]
  2. To mark out, fix the boundaries of a place.[2][6]
  3. To separate; to limit, restrict.[2]
  4. To determine, decide; to ordain, appoint.[2][5]
  5. To define; to distinguish.[2][3]

Word family

  • ἀφορίζω (aphorízō)
  • διορίζω (diorízō)
  • ἐξορίζω (exorízō)
  • προορίζω (proorízō)
  • προσορίζω (prosorízō)
  • ὑπερορίζω (huperorízō)
  • παρορίζω (parorízō)
  • συνορίζω (sunorízō)
  • ἀόριστος (aóristos)
  • ὁρίζων (horízōn)
  • ὅρισμα (hórisma)
  • ὁρισμός (horismós)
  • ὁριστής (horistḗs)
  • ὁριστικός (horistikós)
  • ὁριστός (horistós)
  • ὡρισμένως (hōrisménōs)
  • ὅρος (hóros)
  • ἀφορισμός (aphorismós)
  • English horizon

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e 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
  6. ^ a b Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
  7. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki