νη- + εἴκω2

Validation

Yes

Word-form

νίκην

Transliteration (Word)

nikē

English translation (word)

victory

Transliteration (Etymon)

nē- + eikō

English translation (etymon)

not + to give way

Author

Plutarch

Century

1-2 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Quaestiones convivales 723b

Ed.

C. Hubert, Plutarchi moralia, vol. 4, Leipzig: Teubner, 1938 (repr. 1971)

Quotation

φάσκοντες αὐτήν τε τὴν ‘νίκην’ παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶκον ὠνομάσθαι·

Translation (En)

Sang that the word nikē "victory" itself was called from the fact that one does not give way (mē eikon)

Comment

The word is parsed as a compound with the privative prefix νη-. The verb is identified as εἴκω "to give way". That implies a formal manipulation, dropping of the initial [e]. From the semantic point of view, the etymology is consistent as victory is the result of not giving way

Parallels

Herodian, Peri orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 556 (νίκη: παρὰ τὴν ἑνί δοτικὴν καὶ εἴκω τὸ ὑποχωρῶ γίνεται ἑνιείκη καὶ κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τῶν δύο εε καὶ κράσει τῶν δύο ιι γίνεται νίκη οἱονεὶ ἡ ἑνὶ ὑποχωροῦσα, ὡς καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς δηλοῖ λέγων «ἑτεραλκέα νίκην» τὴν ἑτεροκλινῆ. τινὲς δὲ σχηματίζουσιν οὕτως. παρὰ τὸ νη στερητικὸν καὶ τὸ εἴκω τὸ ὑποχωρῶ οἱονεὶ ὁ μηδενὶ ὑποχωρῶν. κακῶς δὲ λέγουσιν. ἀντίκειται γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡ γραφή); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 605-606 (Νίκη: Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἑνὶ δοτικὴν καὶ τὸ ἵκω, τὸ παραγίνομαι, γίνεται ἑνιΐκη· καὶ κράσει τῶν βʹ ΙΙ εἰς ἓν μακρὸν, νίκη, ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ε· καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις πέφυκεν ἀποβάλλειν κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὸ ε· οἷον, ἐρύω, ἐρυτῆρες, ῥυτῆρες· ἔχω, ἐχεὶρ, χείρ […] Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἑνὶ δοτικὴν καὶ τὸ εἴκω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, γίνεται ἑνιείκη· καὶ κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τῶν δύο ΕΕ, καὶ κράσει τῶν δύο ΙΙ, γίνεται νίκη, οἱονεὶ ἡ ἑνὶ ὑποχωροῦσα· ὡς καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς δηλοῖ λέγων, ‘ἑτεραλκέα νίκην’, τὴν ἑτεροκλινῆ. Τινὲς δὲ σχηματίζουσιν οὕτω· παρὰ τὸ ΝΗ στερητικὸν καὶ τὸ εἴκω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, οἱονεὶ ὁ μηδενὶ ὑποχωρῶν. Κακῶς δὲ λέγουσιν· ἀντίκειται γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡ γραφή); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, nu p. 1401-1402 (Νίκη. παρὰ τὸ ἑνὶ δοτικῇ καὶ τὸ εἴκω, τὸ ὑποχωρῶ, γέγονεν ἑνιείκη, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τῶν δύο εε, τοῦ τε ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ τοῦ μέσου, καὶ κατὰ κρᾶσιν τῶν δύο ιι εἰς ἓν, δηλονότι μακρὸν, νίκη, οἷον ἡ ἑνὶ ὑποχωροῦσα. ὡς καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς λέγει· ‘ἑτεραλκέα νίκην’. [ἄλλοι δὲ, παρὰ τὸ νη στερητικὸν καὶ τοῦ εἴκω γέγονε νίκη, κατ’ ἔκθλιψιν τοῦ ε, ἡ μηδενὶ ὑποχωροῦσα. ἀλλ’ ἀντίκειται αὐτοῖς καὶ ἡ ἀποβολὴ καὶ ἡ γραφή· ἡ γραφὴ μὲν, ὅτι νίκη διὰ τοῦ ι γράφεται, καὶ ὤφειλε γράφεσθαι διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου, ἡ ἀποβολὴ δὲ, ὅτι οὐδέποτε τὸ νη ἐπίῤῥημα ἀποβάλλει τὸ η, οἷον νήδυμος]

Modern etymology

Unclear (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Νίκη is still used in Modern Greek to designate: 1. 'the win against someone or something', 2. 'a success'. There are many compounds with this word.

Entry By

Le Feuvre