ἀγωνία Ancient Greek · revision 2297

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=6th–5th century BC, Pindar|origins=grc ἀγών}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /a.ɡɔː.ní.aː/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /a.ɣoˈni.a/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /a.ɣoˈni.a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ἀγωνίᾱ''' (agōníā) ''f'' (genitive ἀγωνίᾱς); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Ionic ἀγωνίη.^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is derived from [[ἀγών|tr=agṓn|t=contest]] with the suffix -ία.^(Wiktionary)^(Πάπυρος)^(Etymonline) ἀγών originally meant an assembly, especially one gathered to watch games, and comes from [[ἄγω|tr=ágō|t=to lead, bring together]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pindar and Herodotus use it for a contest, especially in the games.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Euripides uses it for the struggle of war, and Xenophon and the orators for competition in general.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) In the Hippocratic writers and Plato it is bodily exercise and the training of an athlete or a fighter.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE) Plato compares the use of rhetoric to any other competitive skill.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+

+ From the 4th century BC it came to mean mental struggle: Demosthenes speaks of “fear and great anguish”, and Hyperides calls anxiety about speaking a fetter.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)^(Πάπυρος) The Stoics counted it a kind of fear.^(BDAG 2000) The New Testament uses it once, of Jesus “being in anguish” (Luke 22:44).^(BDAG 2000)^(DGE) Justinian's legislation uses it for the hearing of a case.^(DGE)

+

+ Modern Greek [[m|el|αγωνία|tr=agonía]] means anxiety, suspense and the agony of death.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)^(Πάπυρος) English [[m|en|agony]] (late 14th century) came through Old French and Late Latin, first of mental suffering, especially Christ's in Gethsemane.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for contests in the games.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ * 5th century BC – Herodotus describes games “with every kind of contest”.^(DGE)^(LSJ 1940)

+ * 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it for gymnastic exercise.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 4th century BC – Demosthenes uses it for anguish.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 1st century AD – Luke uses it of Jesus' anguish.^(BDAG 2000)

+ * Late 14th century – English ''agony''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|contest]], struggle for victory, especially in the games, and figuratively combat in war.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Gymnastic [[m|en|exercise]]; training, practice.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ # Mental struggle, [[m|en|anguish]], [[m|en|anxiety]].^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)^(BDAG 2000)

+ # ''(law, Byzantine)'' The hearing of a case.^(DGE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ἀγωνιάω|tr=agōniáō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ἀγών|tr=agṓn]]

+ * [[ἀγωνίζομαι|tr=agōnízomai]]

+ * [[en|agony]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}