ληκάω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain. Beekes suggests that the term is an iterative-intensive formation from Proto-Indo-European *lek-, with a possible exact parallel in Latvian lȩ̃kât. However, on the basis of λαικαζω (laikazō), Beekes suggests that this term may showcase the Pre-Greek variation of αι/η (ai/ē).^[1] It is likely the meaning of "to have sex" is a secondary development.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /lɛː.ká.ɔː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /le̝ˈka.o/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /liˈka.o/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /liˈka.o/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /liˈka.o/

Verb

ληκᾰ́ω • (lēkắō)

to dance
Synonym: ὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai)
- 5th century CE, Hesychius Alexandreus, Συναγωγὴ Πασῶν Λέξεων κατὰ Στοιχεῖον:
  ληκᾶν· τὸ πρὸς ᾠδὴν ὀρχεῖσθαι
  lēkân; tò pròs ōidḕn orkheîsthai
  ληκᾶν = dance to music
(sex, euphemistic) to have sex
- 411 BCE, Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 493

Conjugation

Present: ληκᾰ́ω, ληκᾰ́ομαι (Uncontracted)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ληκᾰ́ω	ληκᾰ́εις	ληκᾰ́ει	ληκᾰ́ετον	ληκᾰ́ετον	ληκᾰ́ομεν	ληκᾰ́ετε	ληκᾰ́ουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ληκᾰ́ω	ληκᾰ́ῃς	ληκᾰ́ῃ	ληκᾰ́ητον	ληκᾰ́ητον	ληκᾰ́ωμεν	ληκᾰ́ητε	ληκᾰ́ωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ληκᾰ́οιμῐ	ληκᾰ́οις	ληκᾰ́οι	ληκᾰ́οιτον	ληκᾰοίτην	ληκᾰ́οιμεν	ληκᾰ́οιτε	ληκᾰ́οιεν
	imperative		λήκᾰε	ληκᾰέτω	ληκᾰ́ετον	ληκᾰέτων		ληκᾰ́ετε	ληκᾰόντων
middle/passive	indicative	ληκᾰ́ομαι	ληκᾰ́ῃ, ληκᾰ́ει	ληκᾰ́εται	ληκᾰ́εσθον	ληκᾰ́εσθον	ληκᾰόμεθᾰ	ληκᾰ́εσθε	ληκᾰ́ονται
	subjunctive	ληκᾰ́ωμαι	ληκᾰ́ῃ	ληκᾰ́ηται	ληκᾰ́ησθον	ληκᾰ́ησθον	ληκᾰώμεθᾰ	ληκᾰ́ησθε	ληκᾰ́ωνται
	optative	ληκᾰοίμην	ληκᾰ́οιο	ληκᾰ́οιτο	ληκᾰ́οισθον	ληκᾰοίσθην	ληκᾰοίμεθᾰ	ληκᾰ́οισθε	ληκᾰ́οιντο
	imperative		ληκᾰ́ου	ληκᾰέσθω	ληκᾰ́εσθον	ληκᾰέσθων		ληκᾰ́εσθε	ληκᾰέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		ληκᾰ́ειν				ληκᾰ́εσθαι
participle	m	ληκᾰ́ων				ληκᾰόμενος
	f	ληκᾰ́ουσᾰ				ληκᾰομένη
	n	ληκᾰ́ον				ληκᾰόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Present: ληκῶ, ληκῶμαι (Contracted)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ληκῶ	ληκᾷς	ληκᾷ	ληκᾶτον	ληκᾶτον	ληκῶμεν	ληκᾶτε	ληκῶσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ληκῶ	ληκᾷς	ληκᾷ	ληκᾶτον	ληκᾶτον	ληκῶμεν	ληκᾶτε	ληκῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	ληκῴην, ληκῷμῐ	ληκῴης, ληκῷς	ληκῴη, ληκῷ	ληκῷτον, ληκῴητον	ληκῴτην, ληκῳήτην	ληκῷμεν, ληκῴημεν	ληκῷτε, ληκῴητε	ληκῷεν, ληκῴησᾰν
	imperative		λήκᾱ	ληκᾱ́τω	ληκᾶτον	ληκᾱ́των		ληκᾶτε	ληκώντων
middle/passive	indicative	ληκῶμαι	ληκᾷ	ληκᾶται	ληκᾶσθον	ληκᾶσθον	ληκώμεθᾰ	ληκᾶσθε	ληκῶνται
	subjunctive	ληκῶμαι	ληκᾷ	ληκᾶται	ληκᾶσθον	ληκᾶσθον	ληκώμεθᾰ	ληκᾶσθε	ληκῶνται
	optative	ληκῴμην	ληκῷο	ληκῷτο	ληκῷσθον	ληκῴσθην	ληκῴμεθᾰ	ληκῷσθε	ληκῷντο
	imperative		ληκῶ	ληκᾱ́σθω	ληκᾶσθον	ληκᾱ́σθων		ληκᾶσθε	ληκᾱ́σθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		ληκᾶν				ληκᾶσθαι
participle	m	ληκῶν				ληκώμενος
	f	ληκῶσᾰ				ληκωμένη
	n	ληκῶν				ληκώμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἐλήκᾰον, ἐληκᾰόμην (Uncontracted)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐλήκᾰον	ἐλήκᾰες	ἐλήκᾰε(ν)	ἐληκᾰ́ετον	ἐληκᾰέτην	ἐληκᾰ́ομεν	ἐληκᾰ́ετε	ἐλήκᾰον
middle/passive	indicative	ἐληκᾰόμην	ἐληκᾰ́ου	ἐληκᾰ́ετο	ἐληκᾰ́εσθον	ἐληκᾰέσθην	ἐληκᾰόμεθᾰ	ἐληκᾰ́εσθε	ἐληκᾰ́οντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἐλήκων, ἐληκώμην (Contracted)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐλήκων	ἐλήκᾱς	ἐλήκᾱ	ἐληκᾶτον	ἐληκᾱ́την	ἐληκῶμεν	ἐληκᾶτε	ἐλήκων
middle/passive	indicative	ἐληκώμην	ἐληκῶ	ἐληκᾶτο	ἐληκᾶσθον	ἐληκᾱ́σθην	ἐληκώμεθᾰ	ἐληκᾶσθε	ἐληκῶντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: ληκήσω, ληκήσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ληκήσω	ληκήσεις	ληκήσει	ληκήσετον	ληκήσετον	ληκήσομεν	ληκήσετε	ληκήσουσῐ(ν)
active	optative	ληκήσοιμῐ	ληκήσοις	ληκήσοι	ληκήσοιτον	ληκησοίτην	ληκήσοιμεν	ληκήσοιτε	ληκήσοιεν
middle	indicative	ληκήσομαι	ληκήσῃ, ληκήσει	ληκήσεται	ληκήσεσθον	ληκήσεσθον	ληκησόμεθᾰ	ληκήσεσθε	ληκήσονται
middle	optative	ληκησοίμην	ληκήσοιο	ληκήσοιτο	ληκήσοισθον	ληκησοίσθην	ληκησοίμεθᾰ	ληκήσοισθε	ληκήσοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		ληκήσειν			ληκήσεσθαι
participle	m	ληκήσων			ληκησόμενος
	f	ληκήσουσᾰ			ληκησομένη
	n	ληκῆσον			ληκησόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἐλήκησᾰ, ἐληκησᾰ́μην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐλήκησᾰ	ἐλήκησᾰς	ἐλήκησε(ν)	ἐληκήσᾰτον	ἐληκησᾰ́την	ἐληκήσᾰμεν	ἐληκήσᾰτε	ἐλήκησᾰν
	subjunctive	ληκήσω	ληκήσῃς	ληκήσῃ	ληκήσητον	ληκήσητον	ληκήσωμεν	ληκήσητε	ληκήσωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ληκήσαιμῐ	ληκήσειᾰς, ληκήσαις	ληκήσειε(ν), ληκήσαι	ληκήσαιτον	ληκησαίτην	ληκήσαιμεν	ληκήσαιτε	ληκήσειᾰν, ληκήσαιεν
	imperative		λήκησον	ληκησᾰ́τω	ληκήσᾰτον	ληκησᾰ́των		ληκήσᾰτε	ληκησᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἐληκησᾰ́μην	ἐληκήσω	ἐληκήσᾰτο	ἐληκήσᾰσθον	ἐληκησᾰ́σθην	ἐληκησᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐληκήσᾰσθε	ἐληκήσᾰντο
	subjunctive	ληκήσωμαι	ληκήσῃ	ληκήσηται	ληκήσησθον	ληκήσησθον	ληκησώμεθᾰ	ληκήσησθε	ληκήσωνται
	optative	ληκησαίμην	ληκήσαιο	ληκήσαιτο	ληκήσαισθον	ληκησαίσθην	ληκησαίμεθᾰ	ληκήσαισθε	ληκήσαιντο
	imperative		λήκησαι	ληκησᾰ́σθω	ληκήσᾰσθον	ληκησᾰ́σθων		ληκήσᾰσθε	ληκησᾰ́σθων
		active			middle
infinitive		ληκῆσαι			ληκήσᾰσθαι
participle	m	ληκήσᾱς			ληκησᾰ́μενος
	f	ληκήσᾱσᾰ			ληκησᾰμένη
	n	ληκῆσᾰν			ληκησᾰ́μενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ληκαλέος (lēkaléos)

References

“ληκάω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
ληκάω in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
ληκάω, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 856
^ Carlos Monzó (6 December 2019), “Ancient Greek οι-stem: Semantics of a morphological category”, in Journal of Greek Linguistics‎^[1], volume 19, number 2, →DOI, →ISSN, page 182

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 856

[2] Carlos Monzó (6 December 2019), “Ancient Greek οι-stem: Semantics of a morphological category”, in Journal of Greek Linguistics‎^[1], volume 19, number 2, →DOI, →ISSN, page 182

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