ἕνεκα

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἕνεκ’ (hének’) — apocopic
ἕνεκεν (héneken)
εἵνεκα (heíneka) — Ionic, Poetic
εἵνεκεν (heíneken) — Ionic, Poetic
ἕνεκε (héneke)
ἕννεκα (hénneka) — Aeolic

Etymology

Cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀁𐀚𐀏 (e-ne-ka); otherwise Pre-Greek. Formerly thought a composite of ἕν (hén) and *ϝέκα (*wéka) (see: ἑκών (hekṓn)). However no trace of ϝ is seen in the Mycenaean Linear B record.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hé.ne.ka/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)e.ne.ka/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ne.ka/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ne.ka/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ne.ka/

Postposition

ἕνεκᾰ • (héneka)

(with genitive)
1. on account of, for the sake of, because of
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 14.89
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.214
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.110
  - 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 20.21
  - 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 5.8.13
  - 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, Against Ctesiphon 10
  - 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 31C
  - 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.35
  - 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.40
  - 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 5.1.17
  - 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Lysis 218E
  - 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 185B
  - 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Physics 194A.27
  - 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Metaphysics 1059A.35
2. with regard to, as far as regards, as for
  - 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 386
  - 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Leptines 14
  - 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.42
  - 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.122
  - 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 548D
  - 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 329B
  - 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 582D
  - 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 4.3.3
3. (pleonastic)
  - 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 554
  - 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 8.92
  - 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 2.4.31
  - 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 701D

Derived terms

οὕνεκα (hoúneka)
τοὔνεκα (toúneka)

Conjunction