ἐλέγχω

Word

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/06/2026 - 10:10

Word-form

ἐλέγχου

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

elenkhos

English translation (word)

argument of disproof or refutation

Transliteration (Etymon)

elenkhō

English translation (etymon)

to question, to test, to prove, to refute

Author

Plato

Century

5-4 BC

Source

idem

Ref.

Gorgias 473e

Ed.

J. Burnet, Platonis opera, vol. 3, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903 (repr. 1968)

Quotation

τί τοῦτο, ὦ Πῶλε; γελᾷς; ἄλλο αὖ τοῦτο εἶδος ἐλέγχου ἐστίν, ἐπειδάν τίς τι εἴπῃ, καταγελᾶν, ἐλέγχειν δὲ μή;

Translation (En)

What is that I see, Polus? You are laughing? Here we have yet another form of refutation—when a statement is made, to laugh it down, instead of disproving it! (transl. W. Lamb)

Comment

Έλεγχος is correctly related to ἐλέγχω, although not explicitly derived from the latter. This can be considered as an implicit etymology. There are many similar examples

Modern etymology

Έλεγχος and ἐλέγχω are cognate with Hitt. li(n)k-zi "to swear", OHG ant-lingen "to answer" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has έλεγχος "control, check" as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre
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