Ancient Greek

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Etymology

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According to Beekes, derived from δέχομαι (dékhomai, I take, accept), from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (to take).[1] Cognate to Latin doceō (I teach, show, rehearse) and Latin dignus (fitting, worthy).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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δοκέω (dokéō)

  1. to expect, think, suppose, imagine
  2. to seem, to be thought [with dative ‘to/by someone’ and infinitive ‘that ...’]
    1. (impersonal, δοκεῖ (dokeî)) it seems [with dative ‘to someone’] (idiomatically translated by English think with the dative becoming the subject)
      • Aristophanes, Frogs, line 104.
        ἦ μὴν κόβαλά γ’ ἐστίν, ὡς καὶ σοὶ δοκεῖ.
        ê mḕn kóbalá g’ estín, hōs kaì soì dokeî.
        Now surely these are just knavish tricks, as (i'm sure) it seems to you.
    2. (impersonal, δοκεῖ (dokeî)) it seems good, it is decided [with dative ‘to someone’] (idiomatically translated by English decide or resolve with the dative becoming the subject)
      ἔδοξε τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ....
      édoxe têi boulêi kaì tôi dḗmōi....
      The council and people have decided....
  3. to be reputed [with infinitive ‘that ...’]
    • 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 472a:
      ἐνίοτε γὰρ ἂν καὶ καταψευδομαρτυρηθείη τις ὑπὸ πολλῶν καὶ δοκούντων εἶναί τι.
      eníote gàr àn kaì katapseudomarturētheíē tis hupò pollôn kaì dokoúntōn eînaí ti.
      For occasionally someone can even be brought down by many well-reputed false witnesses.

Inflection

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “δοκέω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 344-5

Further reading

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