ἔοικα

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

οἶκα (oîka) — Ionic

Etymology

Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to become equal, be fitting”), albeit with no certain cognates outside of Greek; Lithuanian vỹkti (“to occur, happen”) has been compared, but the Lithuanian is more likely to derive from *weyk- (“to overcome”), which appears to be separate from *weyk- in the "fit" meaning. Cognate with εἰκών (eikṓn), εἴκελος (eíkelos), εἰκάζω (eikázō).^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /é.oi̯.ka/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈe.y.ka/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.y.ka/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.y.ka/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.i.ka/

Verb

ἔοικᾰ • (éoikă)

(impersonal, imperfect and aorist) to seem likely [with infinitive ‘that ...’]
(perfect and pluperfect)
1. to be like, to look like [with dative ‘something, someone’]
  - c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssee 1.208-209:
    κεφαλήν τε καὶ ὄμματα καλϝὰ ϝέϝοικας κείνῳ
    kephalḗn te kaì ómmata kalwà wéwoikas keínōi
    by head and fairness of eyes you resemble yon
  - Bible, Epistle of James 1.6:
    αἰτείτω δὲ ἐν πίστει, μηδὲν διακρινόμενος· ὁ γὰρ διακρινόμενος ἔοικε κλύδωνι θαλάσσης ἀνεμιζομένῳ καὶ ριπιζομένῳ
    aiteítō dè en pístei, mēdèn diakrinómenos; ho gàr diakrinómenos éoike klúdōni thalássēs anemizoménōi kaì ripizoménōi
    But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
2. to seem [with infinitive ‘to do’], to seem likely [with infinitive ‘that ...’]
  1. (ἔοικε as interjection) so it seems; probably
    - c. 385 BCE, Plato, Meno 73c
3. to beseem, befit, be appropriate for [with dative ‘something, someone’]
  1. (impersonal, ἔοικε) it is fitting; to be right, seemly, reasonable [with infinitive ‘to do’]

Inflection

The perfect tense has a present sense. The third-person singular imperfect εἶκε (eîke) is only used once, in Odyssey 18.520, unless this form is from the verb εἴκω (eíkō) instead. The future εἴξω (eíxō, “will be like”) likewise only appears once, in Aristophanes, The Clouds 1001.

Perfect: ἔοικᾰ (Epic, Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔοικᾰ	ἔοικᾰς	ἔοικε(ν)	ἐοίκᾰτον	ἐοίκᾰτον	ἐοίκᾰμεν	ἐοίκᾰτε	ἐοίκᾱσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἐοίκω	ἐοίκῃς	ἐοίκῃ	ἐοίκητον	ἐοίκητον	ἐοίκωμεν	ἐοίκητε	ἐοίκωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἐοίκοιμῐ, ἐοικοίην	ἐοίκοις, ἐοικοίης	ἐοίκοι, ἐοικοίη	ἐοίκοιτον	ἐοικοίτην	ἐοίκοιμεν	ἐοίκοιτε	ἐοίκοιεν
	imperative		ἔοικε	ἐοικέτω	ἐοίκετον	ἐοικέτων		ἐοίκετε	ἐοικόντων
		active
infinitive		ἐοικέναι
participle	m	ἐοικώς, εἰκώς, ἐϊκώς
	f	ἐοικυῖᾰ, εἰκυῖᾰ, ἐϊκυῖᾰ
	n	ἐοικός, εἰκός, ἐϊκός
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Pluperfect: ἐῴκειν (Epic, Attic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐῴκειν, ἐῴκη	ἐῴκεις, ἐῴκης	ἐῴκει(ν)	ἐῴκετον	ἐΐκτην	ἐῴκεμεν	ἐῴκετε	ἐῴκεσᾰν, ἐοίκεσᾰν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: εἴξω, εἴξομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	εἴξω	εἴξεις	εἴξει	εἴξετον	εἴξετον	εἴξομεν	εἴξετε	εἴξουσῐ(ν)
active	optative	εἴξοιμῐ	εἴξοις	εἴξοι	εἴξοιτον	εἰξοίτην	εἴξοιμεν	εἴξοιτε	εἴξοιεν
middle	indicative	εἴξομαι	εἴξῃ, εἴξει	εἴξεται	εἴξεσθον	εἴξεσθον	εἰξόμεθᾰ	εἴξεσθε	εἴξονται
middle	optative	εἰξοίμην	εἴξοιο	εἴξοιτο	εἴξοισθον	εἰξοίσθην	εἰξοίμεθᾰ	εἴξοισθε	εἴξοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		εἴξειν			εἴξεσθαι
participle	m	εἴξων			εἰξόμενος
	f	εἴξουσᾰ			εἰξομένη
	n	εἶξον			εἰξόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: εἶξᾰ, εἰξᾰ́μην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	εἶξᾰ	εἶξᾰς	εἶξε(ν)	εἴξᾰτον	εἰξᾰ́την	εἴξᾰμεν	εἴξᾰτε	εἶξᾰν
	subjunctive	εἴξω	εἴξῃς	εἴξῃ	εἴξητον	εἴξητον	εἴξωμεν	εἴξητε	εἴξωσῐ(ν)
	optative	εἴξαιμῐ	εἴξειᾰς, εἴξαις	εἴξειε(ν), εἴξαι	εἴξαιτον	εἰξαίτην	εἴξαιμεν	εἴξαιτε	εἴξειᾰν, εἴξαιεν
	imperative		εἶξον	εἰξᾰ́τω	εἴξᾰτον	εἰξᾰ́των		εἴξᾰτε	εἰξᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	εἰξᾰ́μην	εἴξω	εἴξᾰτο	εἴξᾰσθον	εἰξᾰ́σθην	εἰξᾰ́μεθᾰ	εἴξᾰσθε	εἴξᾰντο
	subjunctive	εἴξωμαι	εἴξῃ	εἴξηται	εἴξησθον	εἴξησθον	εἰξώμεθᾰ	εἴξησθε	εἴξωνται
	optative	εἰξαίμην	εἴξαιο	εἴξαιτο	εἴξαισθον	εἰξαίσθην	εἰξαίμεθᾰ	εἴξαισθε	εἴξαιντο
	imperative		εἶξαι	εἰξᾰ́σθω	εἴξᾰσθον	εἰξᾰ́σθων		εἴξᾰσθε	εἰξᾰ́σθων
		active			middle
infinitive		εἶξαι			εἴξᾰσθαι
participle	m	εἴξᾱς			εἰξᾰ́μενος
	f	εἴξᾱσᾰ			εἰξᾰμένη
	n	εἶξᾰν			εἰξᾰ́μενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ἐπέοικα (epéoika)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἔοικα”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 435