Ancient Greek edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Proto-Hellenic *kámptō, *kamptos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂emp- (to bend, curve), possibly related to Latin campus and Lithuanian kampas, kumpas. Beekes argues for a Pre-Greek origin. Compare Latin cambiāre, Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Spanish cambiar, Occitan cambiar, Catalan canviar, Norman changier, Sicilian cangiari, French changer, and English change.

Pronunciation edit

 

Verb edit

κάμπτω (kámptō)

  1. to bend, curve
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 4.486:
      ὄφρα ἴτυν κάμψῃ περικαλλέϊ δίφρῳ
      óphra ítun kámpsēi perikalléï díphrōi
      in order that he might bend himself a felloe for a beauteous chariot
    1. (figuratively)
      • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 2.51:
        θεός, ὃ [] καὶ ὑψιφρόνων τιν’ ἔκαμψε βροτῶν
        theós, hò [] kaì hupsiphrónōn tin’ ékampse brotôn
        the gods, who [] bend down many a man who is overly ambitious
      • 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 173b:
        τρεπόμενοι πολλὰ κάμπτονται καὶ συγκλῶνται
        trepómenoi pollà kámptontai kaì sunklôntai
        so that they become greatly bent and stunted
  2. (transitive, intransitive) to turn
    • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 744:
      ἔπειτα λύων ἡνίαν ἀριστερὰν κάμπτοντος ἵππου
      épeita lúōn hēnían aristeràn kámptontos híppou
      But then he slackened his left rein while the horse was turning
    1. (figuratively)
      • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 91:
        ἐνταῦθα κάμψειν τὸν ταλαίπωρον βίον
        entaûtha kámpsein tòn talaípōron bíon
        there I should close my weary life
      • 423 BCE, Euripides, The Suppliants 748:
        ἔχουσαι διὰ λόγου κάμψαι κακά
        ékhousai dià lógou kámpsai kaká
        though you might by parley end your ills
      • 5th century BC, Pherecrates, Collected Works 145.15
  3. (nautical) to double (sail around)
    • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.42.4:
      τρίτῳ ἔτεϊ κάμψαντες Ἡρακλέας στήλας ἀπίκοντο ἐς Αἴγυπτον
      trítōi éteï kámpsantes Hērakléas stḗlas apíkonto es Aígupton
      it was in the third [year] that they doubled the pillars of Heracles and came to Egypt

Inflection edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

References edit

Greek edit

Etymology edit

From Ancient Greek κάμπτω

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈkam.pto/, /ˈkam.to/
  • Hyphenation: κάμ‧πτω

Verb edit

κάμπτω (kámpto) (past έκαμψα, passive κάμπτομαι)

  1. (transitive) to bend, curve
  2. (transitive, figuratively) to cause to yield, to give in

Conjugation edit

Synonyms edit

Related terms edit

Verb-compounds (and see their derivatives)