πάσχω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The four principal parts of the verb display the e-grade, o-grade, and zero-grade (πενθ-, πονθ-, παθ- (penth-, ponth-, path-)) of a root of uncertain identity.

The root is traditionally taken to be a Proto-Indo-European *kʷendʰ- (“to suffer, endure”), with the principal parts mentioned above reflecting *kʷendʰ-, *kʷondʰ-, *kʷn̥dʰ. In this case, cognate with Old Irish césaid (“to suffer”), Lithuanian kentė́ti (“to suffer”) (1st-person present singular kenčiù (“I suffer”)), pakanta (“patience”).^[1] Note, however, that in addition to phonetic issues (the Lithuanian expected form would be *kendė́ti, for example), the structure of the hypothetical root *kʷendʰ- is atypical for Proto-Indo-European.

As an alternative, Beekes and others have connected the word to Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind”) with semantic shift “to be bound” > “to suffer”. Cognates would then include Ancient Greek πενθερός (pentherós, “father-in-law”).^[2]^[3]^[4]

The present πάσχω (páskhō), like the aorist ἔπαθον (épathon), comes from the zero-grade παθ- (path-), but with the inchoative suffix -σκω (-skō) added *πάθ-σκ-ω (*páth-sk-ō) and subsequent loss of θ (th) before σ (s) and transference of aspiration from θ (th) to κ (k), resulting in χ (kh). The future stem πείσομαι (peísomai) developed from *πενθ-σ-ομαι (*penth-s-omai), from e-grade πενθ- (penth-) with the tense-suffix σ (s), with subsequent cluster simplification νθσ > σ (nths > s) and compensatory lengthening *ε > ει (*e > ei). The future stem πείσω (peísō) of the verb πείθω (peíthō, “persuade”) is identical.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pás.kʰɔː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpas.kʰo/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpas.xo/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpas.xo/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpas.xo/

Verb

πᾰ́σχω • (páskhō)

to undergo, experience (as opposed to acting)
(with another person involved) have someone do something to oneself, to be treated a certain way by someone (with ὑπό (hupó) and genitive, sometimes with adverb of manner)
1. (in a negative sense) suffer at someone's hands
  - 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 927–929:
    Ἀντιγόνη εἰ δ’ οἵδ’ ἁμαρτάνουσι, μὴ πλείω κακὰ
    πάθοιεν ἢ καὶ δρῶσιν ἐκδίκως ἐμέ.
    Antigónē ei d’ hoíd’ hamartánousi, mḕ pleíō kakà
    páthoien ḕ kaì drôsin ekdíkōs emé.
    Antigone: But if they are wrong [to treat me as a criminal], let them suffer no worse than they are doing unjustly to me.
2. (law) to suffer a punishment
(without a person involved) to experience something, have something happen to one, undergo something
1. to be in a certain situation (with adverb of manner)
2. to feel an emotion or impulse
3. (in negative sense) suffer
4. to be ill or injured in a certain way (with accusative of part affected)
  Πάσχω τὴν καρδίαν.
  Páskhō tḕn kardían.
  I suffer in the [my] heart.
  
  Κακῶς πάσχειν.
  Kakôs páskhein.
  To suffer badly.

Inflection

Present: πᾰ́σχω

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	πᾰ́σχω	πᾰ́σχεις	πᾰ́σχει	πᾰ́σχετον	πᾰ́σχετον	πᾰ́σχομεν	πᾰ́σχετε	πᾰ́σχουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	πᾰ́σχω	πᾰ́σχῃς	πᾰ́σχῃ	πᾰ́σχητον	πᾰ́σχητον	πᾰ́σχωμεν	πᾰ́σχητε	πᾰ́σχωσῐ(ν)
	optative	πᾰ́σχοιμῐ	πᾰ́σχοις	πᾰ́σχοι	πᾰ́σχοιτον	πᾰσχοίτην	πᾰ́σχοιμεν	πᾰ́σχοιτε	πᾰ́σχοιεν
	imperative		πᾰ́σχε	πᾰσχέτω	πᾰ́σχετον	πᾰσχέτων		πᾰ́σχετε	πᾰσχόντων
		active
infinitive		πᾰ́σχειν
participle	m	πᾰ́σχων
	f	πᾰ́σχουσᾰ
	n	πᾰ́σχον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἔπᾰσχον, ἐπᾰσχόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔπᾰσχον	ἔπᾰσχες	ἔπᾰσχε(ν)	ἐπᾰ́σχετον	ἐπᾰσχέτην	ἐπᾰ́σχομεν	ἐπᾰ́σχετε	ἔπᾰσχον
middle/ passive	indicative	ἐπᾰσχόμην	ἐπᾰ́σχου	ἐπᾰ́σχετο	ἐπᾰ́σχεσθον	ἐπᾰσχέσθην	ἐπᾰσχόμεθᾰ	ἐπᾰ́σχεσθε	ἐπᾰ́σχοντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: πείσομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle	indicative	πείσομαι	πείσῃ, πείσει	πείσεται	πείσεσθον	πείσεσθον	πεισόμεθᾰ	πείσεσθε	πείσονται
middle	optative	πεισοίμην	πείσοιο	πείσοιτο	πείσοισθον	πεισοίσθην	πεισοίμεθᾰ	πείσοισθε	πείσοιντο
					middle
infinitive					πείσεσθαι
participle	m				πεισόμενος
	f				πεισομένη
	n				πεισόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἔπᾰθον

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔπᾰθον	ἔπᾰθες	ἔπᾰθε(ν)	ἐπᾰ́θετον	ἐπᾰθέτην	ἐπᾰ́θομεν	ἐπᾰ́θετε	ἔπᾰθον
	subjunctive	πᾰ́θω	πᾰ́θῃς	πᾰ́θῃ	πᾰ́θητον	πᾰ́θητον	πᾰ́θωμεν	πᾰ́θητε	πᾰ́θωσῐ(ν)
	optative	πᾰ́θοιμῐ	πᾰ́θοις	πᾰ́θοι	πᾰ́θοιτον	πᾰθοίτην	πᾰ́θοιμεν	πᾰ́θοιτε	πᾰ́θοιεν
	imperative		πᾰ́θε	πᾰθέτω	πᾰ́θετον	πᾰθέτων		πᾰ́θετε	πᾰθόντων
		active
infinitive		πᾰθεῖν
participle	m	πᾰθών
	f	πᾰθοῦσᾰ
	n	πᾰθόν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: πᾰ́θον (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	πᾰ́θον	πᾰ́θες	πᾰ́θε(ν)	πᾰ́θετον	πᾰθέτην	πᾰ́θομεν	πᾰ́θετε	πᾰ́θον
	subjunctive	πᾰ́θω, πᾰ́θωμῐ	πᾰ́θῃς, πᾰ́θῃσθᾰ	πᾰ́θῃ, πᾰ́θῃσῐ	πᾰ́θητον	πᾰ́θητον	πᾰ́θωμεν	πᾰ́θητε	πᾰ́θωσῐ(ν)
	optative	πᾰ́θοιμῐ	πᾰ́θοις/πᾰ́θοισθᾰ	πᾰ́θοι	πᾰθεῖτον	πᾰθείτην	πᾰθεῖμεν	πᾰθεῖτε	πᾰθεῖεν
	imperative		πᾰ́θε	πᾰθέτω	πᾰ́θετον	πᾰθέτων		πᾰ́θετε	πᾰθόντων
		active
infinitive		πᾰθεῖν/πᾰθέμεν(αι)
participle	m	πᾰθών
	f	πᾰθοῦσᾰ
	n	πᾰθόν
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.

Perfect: πέπονθᾰ

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	πέπονθᾰ	πέπονθᾰς	πέπονθε(ν)	πεπόνθᾰτον	πεπόνθᾰτον	πεπόνθᾰμεν	πεπόνθᾰτε/πέπασθε/πέποσθε	πεπόνθᾱσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	πεπόνθω	πεπόνθῃς	πεπόνθῃ	πεπόνθητον	πεπόνθητον	πεπόνθωμεν	πεπόνθητε	πεπόνθωσῐ(ν)
	optative	πεπόνθοιμῐ, πεπονθοίην	πεπόνθοις, πεπονθοίης	πεπόνθοι, πεπονθοίη	πεπόνθοιτον	πεπονθοίτην	πεπόνθοιμεν	πεπόνθοιτε	πεπόνθοιεν
	imperative		πέπονθε	πεπονθέτω	πεπόνθετον	πεπονθέτων		πεπόνθετε	πεπονθόντων
		active
infinitive		πεπονθέναι
participle	m	πεπονθώς
	f	πεπονθυῖᾰ/πεπᾰθυῖᾰ
	n	πεπονθός
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Perfect: πέποσχᾰ (Doric)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	πέποσχᾰ	πέποσχᾰς	πέποσχε(ν)	πεπόσχᾰτον	πεπόσχᾰτον	πεπόσχᾰμες	πεπόσχᾰτε	πεποσχᾰ́τι, πεπόσχᾰντῐ
	subjunctive	πεπόσχω	πεπόσχῃς	πεπόσχῃ	πεπόσχητον	πεπόσχητον	πεπόσχωμες	πεπόσχητε	πεπόσχωντῐ
	optative	πεπόσχοιμῐ, πεποσχοίην	πεπόσχοις, πεποσχοίης	πεπόσχοι, πεποσχοίη	πεπόσχοιτον	πεποσχοίτᾱν	πεπόσχοιμες	πεπόσχοιτε	πεπόσχοιεν
	imperative		πέποσχε	πεποσχέτω	πεπόσχετον	πεποσχέτων		πεπόσχετε	πεποσχόντω
		active
infinitive		πεποσχέναι
participle	m	πεποσχώς
	f	πεποσχυῖᾰ
	n	πεποσχός
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.

Pluperfect: ἐπεπόνθειν

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐπεπόνθειν, ἐπεπόνθη	ἐπεπόνθεις, ἐπεπόνθης	ἐπεπόνθει(ν)	ἐπεπόνθετον	ἐπεπονθέτην	ἐπεπόνθεμεν	ἐπεπόνθετε	ἐπεπόνθεσᾰν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Synonyms

(to be in a certain situation): ἔχω (ékhō)

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “undergo”): δράω (dráō), ῥέζω (rhézō)

Derived terms

πᾰ́θη (páthē)
πάθησις (páthēsis)
πᾰθητός (pathētós)
πᾰθητικός (pathētikós)
πᾰ́θημα (páthēma)
πᾰθηματικός (pathēmatikós)
πᾰ́θος (páthos)
πᾰθικός (pathikós)
πένθος (pénthos)

References

^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “*kwent(h)-”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “πάσχω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1156
^ Holger Pedersen, Zwei Fälle eines irrtümlich als Labiovelar aufgefassten π, p. 192 ff., in: Revue des Études Indo-européennes (Bucarest), 1/1 (1938), pp. 192–199.
^ Janda, Michael (2000) Eleusis: Das Indogermanische Erbe Der Mysterien (Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft; 86) (in German), Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck, →ISBN, page 128