πόλεμος

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word πόλεμος. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word πόλεμος, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say πόλεμος in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word πόλεμος you have here. The definition of the word πόλεμος will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofπόλεμος, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

According to Beekes, of Pre-Greek origin, as suggested by πτ/τ variation in its variants.

However, the word has been connected to πάλλω (pállō, to poise, sway, brandish), πελεμίζω (pelemízō, to shake, cause to quiver or tremble, struggle at the bow, in order to bend it) and perhaps ψάλλω (psállō, to pluck, twitch a string with the fingers; to sing to a harp, chant praises), all possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (to beat, push, drive) (which Beekes finds semantically unconvincing, despite not being particularly farfetched).[1]

Compare Latin pello (to push, drive, strike; to rout, conquer, defeat; to strike a chord; to touch, move) and palpo (to touch softly, stroke, pat, caress), English feel, Ancient Greek πλήσσω (plḗssō, to strike, smite), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌼𐌰 (usfilma, terrified, appalled), 𐌿𐍃𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌼𐌴𐌹 (usfilmei, fright, horror, dismay) – quasi analogies to ἐκπλήσσω (ekplḗssō) –, and Russian полох (polox, fear, fright).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

πόλεμος (pólemosm (genitive πολέμου); second declension

  1. war, battle

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Greek: πόλεμος (pólemos)

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “πόλεμος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1218-9

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πόλεμος (pólemos).

Noun

πόλεμος (pólemosm (plural πόλεμοι)

  1. war
    εμφύλιος πόλεμοςemfýlios pólemoscivil war
    ακήρυχτος πόλεμοςakírychtos pólemosundeclared war
    ολοκληρωτικός πόλεμοςoloklirotikós pólemostotal war
    ανάπηρος πολέμουanápiros polémoudisabled serviceman

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading