ἔχω Ancient Greek · revision 3198

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Mycenaean (Linear B)|origins=ine-pro *seǵʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /é.kʰɔː/^(Wiktionary)

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

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈe.xo/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ἔχω''' (ékhō) ^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|grk-pro|*hékʰō]], [[inh|ine-pro|*séǵʰeti]], a thematic present of the root [[ine-pro|*seǵʰ-|t=to overpower, get hold of]].^(Wiktionary)^(LIV 2001)^(Beekes 2010) Mycenaean has [[gmy|e-ke]], “has”.^(Beekes 2010)^(LIV 2001) The reduplicated present [[ἴσχω|tr=ískhō]] comes from ⟨*σί-σχ-ω⟩, and the aorist [[ἔσχον|tr=éskhon]] has the zero grade of the root.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ The exact cognate is [[sa|सहते|tr=sáhate|t=overpowers, conquers]]; the root is also in Germanic and Celtic words for victory and strength, such as [[got|𐍃𐌹𐌲𐌹𐍃|tr=sigis]] and Gaulish names in ⟨Sego-⟩.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) In Greek the meaning developed strongly from “get hold of” to “hold, have”.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Mycenaean tablets have ''e-ke''.^(Beekes 2010)^(LIV 2001) In Homer it already covers holding in the hands, possessing, keeping and wearing, and intransitive uses such as “to hold firm”.^(Cunliffe 1924)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its uses are many: to hold by physical contact, to have in one's possession, to keep, to wear clothes or arms, to inhabit a place, to hold a course, to hold back or check.^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary)^(LSJ 1940) With an infinitive it means “to be able” and later also “to have to”; with an adverb, used intransitively, it expresses a state, as ''εὖ ἔχω'' “I am well”.^(Wiktionary)^(LSJ 1940) In the middle it means to cling to, to be next to (''ὁ ἐχόμενος'' “the next”), to depend on or pertain to, and to keep oneself from something.^(Wiktionary)^(Lust 2003)

+

+ The Septuagint and the New Testament use it for owning, having children, holding opinions and being in a certain condition.^(Lust 2003)^(BDAG 2000) Medieval Greek kept it in all its senses, and it survives as [[m|el|έχω|tr=écho]] “to have”, also in Italiot Greek and Mariupol Greek.^(Kriaras)^(Triantafyllidis 1998)^(Wiktionary) Its zero grade is the base of [[σχῆμα|tr=skhêma|t=form]] and [[σχολή|tr=skholḗ|t=leisure]], and its full grade of [[ἕξις|tr=héxis|t=state, habit]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mycenaean period – The tablets have ''e-ke''.^(Beekes 2010)^(LIV 2001)

+ * Homer – It is used for holding, having, keeping and wearing.^(Cunliffe 1924)^(CGL 2021)

+ * 5th century BC – Prose writers use it with an adverb to express a state, “to be in a certain condition”.^(LSJ 1940)^(Wiktionary)

+ * 3rd–1st century BC – The Septuagint uses the middle participle for “next”.^(Lust 2003)

+ * 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for owning and having.^(BDAG 2000)

+ * 12th–17th century – Vernacular Greek uses it as the general verb “to have”.^(Kriaras)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hold]], have in one's hands; to grip.^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To have, [[m|en|possess]], own; to keep, have charge of.^(Wiktionary)^(BDAG 2000)

+ # To bear, wear arms or clothes, or ''(of a woman)'' to be pregnant.^(Wiktionary)^(LSJ 1940)

+ # To inhabit a place.^(Wiktionary)^(CGL 2021)

+ # To hold a course, steer; to hold back, check.^(Wiktionary)^(CGL 2021)

+ # To understand, know.^(Wiktionary)^(Lust 2003)

+ # ''(with infinitive)'' To be able; later, to have to.^(Wiktionary)^(Lust 2003)

+ # ''(intransitive, with an adverb)'' To be in a certain state: ''εὖ ἔχειν'', to be well.^(Wiktionary)^(LSJ 1940)

+ # ''(middle)'' To cling to; to be next to; to depend on, pertain to.^(Wiktionary)^(Lust 2003)

+ # ''(middle)'' To keep oneself from, abstain.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ἀμπέχω|tr=ampékhō]]

+ * [[ἀνέχω|tr=anékhō]]

+ * [[ἀντέχω|tr=antékhō]]

+ * [[ἀπέχω|tr=apékhō]]

+ * [[εἰσέχω|tr=eisékhō]]

+ * [[ἐνέχω|tr=enékhō]]

+ * [[ἐξέχω|tr=exékhō]]

+ * [[ἐπέχω|tr=epékhō]]

+ * [[ἑστιοῦχος|tr=hestioûkhos]]

+ * [[εὐνοῦχος|tr=eunoûkhos]]

+ * [[ἐχέγγυος|tr=ekhénguos]]

+ * [[ἐχεπευκής|tr=ekhepeukḗs]]

+ * [[ἐχέφρων|tr=ekhéphrōn]]

+ * [[κατέχω|tr=katékhō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ἄσχετος|tr=áskhetos]]

+ * [[ἔγμα|tr=égma]]

+ * [[ἑκτέος|tr=hektéos]]

+ * [[ἑκτικός|tr=hektikós]]

+ * [[Ἕκτωρ|tr=Héktōr]]

+ * [[ἕξις|tr=héxis]]

+ * [[ἐχέτης|tr=ekhétēs]]

+ * [[ἐχέτλη|tr=ekhétlē]]

+ * [[ἔχης|tr=ékhēs]]

+ * [[ἔχησις|tr=ékhēsis]]

+ * [[ἴσχω|tr=ískhō]]

+ * [[σχῆμα|tr=skhêma]]

+ * [[σχολή|tr=skholḗ]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A second, unrelated verb ἔχω “to carry, bring” is found only in Pamphylian ''ϝεχέτω'' and a Cypriot aorist ''ἔϝεξε''; it continues [[ine-pro|*weǵʰ-|t=to transport]], like [[la|vehō]], and is related to [[ὄχος|tr=ókhos|t=chariot]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}