εἶδον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *widét, from *weyd- (“to see”). See εἴδομαι (eídomai).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /êː.don/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈi.don/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ðon/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ðon/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ðon/

Verb

εἶδον • (eîdon)

to see, behold, perceive
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.587
- 408 BCE, Euripides, Orestes 1020
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 6.126
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.22
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 10.44
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 3.194
- 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 238
- 375 BCE, Plato, The Republic 620A
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 10.195
1. (strengthened) to look at, observe
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 4.476
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.412
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 22.450, (compare Plato, Gorgias 455A)
2. to see a person, to meet, speak with them
  - 431 BCE – 404 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.125
  - c. 370 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.4.5
3. to see, experience, become acquainted with
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.221
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 3.233
  - 424 BCE, Euripides, Hecuba 56
  - 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Fragments 835
  - 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 1270
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 11.243
to look at or towards
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.271
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 12.244
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.373
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.320
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.184
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.334
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.78
to see mentally, to perceive
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.61
- 375 BCE, Plato, The Republic 510E
1. to examine, investigate
  - 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 70D
  - 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 192E

Usage notes

All tenses besides the aorist are supplied by ὁράω (horáō) and ὄψομαι (ópsomai).

Conjugation

Aorist: εἶδον, εἰδόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	εἶδον	εἶδες	εἶδε(ν)	εἴδετον	εἰδέτην	εἴδομεν	εἴδετε	εἶδον
	subjunctive	ῐ̓́δω	ῐ̓́δῃς	ῐ̓́δῃ	ῐ̓́δητον	ῐ̓́δητον	ῐ̓́δωμεν	ῐ̓́δητε	ῐ̓́δωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ῐ̓́δοιμῐ	ῐ̓́δοις	ῐ̓́δοι	ῐ̓́δοιτον	ῐ̓δοίτην	ῐ̓́δοιμεν	ῐ̓́δοιτε	ῐ̓́δοιεν
	imperative		ῐ̓δέ, ῐ̓́δε	ῐ̓δέτω	ῐ̓́δετον	ῐ̓δέτων		ῐ̓́δετε	ῐ̓δόντων
middle	indicative	εἰδόμην	εἴδου	εἴδετο	εἴδεσθον	εἰδέσθην	εἰδόμεθᾰ	εἴδεσθε	εἴδοντο
	subjunctive	ῐ̓́δωμαι	ῐ̓́δῃ	ῐ̓́δηται	ῐ̓́δησθον	ῐ̓́δησθον	ῐ̓δώμεθᾰ	ῐ̓́δησθε	ῐ̓́δωνται
	optative	ῐ̓δοίμην	ῐ̓́δοιο	ῐ̓́δοιτο	ῐ̓́δοισθον	ῐ̓δοίσθην	ῐ̓δοίμεθᾰ	ῐ̓́δοισθε	ῐ̓́δοιντο
	imperative		ῐ̓δοῦ	ῐ̓δέσθω	ῐ̓́δεσθον	ῐ̓δέσθων		ῐ̓́δεσθε	ῐ̓δέσθων
		active			middle
infinitive		ῐ̓δεῖν			ῐ̓δέσθαι
participle	m	ῐ̓δών			ῐ̓δόμενος
	f	ῐ̓δοῦσᾰ			ῐ̓δομένη
	n	ῐ̓δόν			ῐ̓δόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ῐ̓́δον, ῐ̓δόμην (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ῐ̓́δον	ῐ̓́δες	ῐ̓́δε(ν)	ῐ̓́δετον	ῐ̓δέτην	ῐ̓́δομεν	ῐ̓́δετε	ῐ̓́δον
	subjunctive	ῐ̓́δω, ῐ̓́δωμῐ	ῐ̓́δῃς, ῐ̓́δῃσθᾰ	ῐ̓́δῃ, ῐ̓́δῃσῐ(ν)	ῐ̓́δητον	ῐ̓́δητον	ῐ̓́δωμεν	ῐ̓́δητε	ῐ̓́δωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ῐ̓́δοιμῐ	ῐ̓́δοις, ῐ̓́δοισθᾰ	ῐ̓́δοι	ῐ̓δεῖτον	ῐ̓δείτην	ῐ̓δεῖμεν	ῐ̓δεῖτε	ῐ̓δεῖεν
	imperative		ῐ̓δέ, ῐ̓́δε	ῐ̓δέτω	ῐ̓́δετον	ῐ̓δέτων		ῐ̓́δετε	ῐ̓δόντων
middle	indicative	ῐ̓δόμην	ῐ̓́δεο	ῐ̓́δετο	ῐ̓́δεσθον	ῐ̓δέσθην	ῐ̓δόμε(σ)θᾰ	ῐ̓́δεσθε	ῐ̓́δοντο
	subjunctive	ῐ̓́δωμαι	ῐ̓́δηαι	ῐ̓́δηται	ῐ̓́δησθον	ῐ̓́δησθον	ῐ̓δώμε(σ)θᾰ	ῐ̓́δησθε	ῐ̓́δωνται
	optative	ῐ̓δοίμην	ῐ̓́δοιο	ῐ̓́δοιτο	ῐ̓́δοισθον	ῐ̓δοίσθην	ῐ̓δοίμε(σ)θᾰ	ῐ̓́δοισθε	ῐ̓δοίᾰτο
	imperative		ῐ̓́δεο	ῐ̓δέσθω	ῐ̓́δεσθον	ῐ̓δέσθων		ῐ̓́δεσθε	ῐ̓δέσθων
		active			middle
infinitive		ῐ̓δεῖν, ῐ̓δέμεν(αι), ῐ̓δέειν			ῐ̓δέσθαι
participle	m	ῐ̓δών			ῐ̓δόμενος
	f	ῐ̓δοῦσᾰ			ῐ̓δομένη
	n	ῐ̓δόν			ῐ̓δόμενον
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: ῐ̓δήσω, ῐ̓δήσομαι (in Theocritus)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ῐ̓δήσω	ῐ̓δήσεις	ῐ̓δήσει	ῐ̓δήσετον	ῐ̓δήσετον	ῐ̓δήσομεν	ῐ̓δήσετε	ῐ̓δήσουσῐ(ν)
active	optative	ῐ̓δήσοιμῐ	ῐ̓δήσοις	ῐ̓δήσοι	ῐ̓δήσοιτον	ῐ̓δησοίτην	ῐ̓δήσοιμεν	ῐ̓δήσοιτε	ῐ̓δήσοιεν
middle	indicative	ῐ̓δήσομαι	ῐ̓δήσῃ, ῐ̓δήσει	ῐ̓δήσεται	ῐ̓δήσεσθον	ῐ̓δήσεσθον	ῐ̓δησόμεθᾰ	ῐ̓δήσεσθε	ῐ̓δήσονται
middle	optative	ῐ̓δησοίμην	ῐ̓δήσοιο	ῐ̓δήσοιτο	ῐ̓δήσοισθον	ῐ̓δησοίσθην	ῐ̓δησοίμεθᾰ	ῐ̓δήσοισθε	ῐ̓δήσοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		ῐ̓δήσειν			ῐ̓δήσεσθαι
participle	m	ῐ̓δήσων			ῐ̓δησόμενος
	f	ῐ̓δήσουσᾰ			ῐ̓δησομένη
	n	ῐ̓δῆσον			ῐ̓δησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Descendants

Greek: είδα (eída) (perfective forms of βλέπω (vlépo))

References

“εἴδω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“εἶδον”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “εἴδομαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 379: “there is the thematic aorist ἰδεῖν and the perfect οἶδα, both of which are old.”