Greek Word of the Week 002 εἰκότως γε! of course! (Patreon)

Word of the Week series index

Greek WotW 002

εἰκότως γε! of course!

Ἀσπάζομαι, ὦ φίλε! Are you ready for another Word of the Week, and this time in Greek? Εἰκότως γε! Of course! In Aristophanes Plutus, there is this line:

εἰκότως γε, νὴ Δία!

(I am using the Romaic Lucian Pronunciation of course — εἰκότως γε!)

Both these phrases mean, “of course!” “absolutely!” “naturally!” “certainly!” Εἰκότως is an adverb formed from the perfect active participle (εἰκώς εἰκυῖα εἰκός) of ἔοικα “to seem,” “to be appropriate.” It’s cognate with εἰκών meaning an image, a portrait, giving us “icon” in English.

Will you find a way to incorporate the Word of the Week into your conversational Greek? Εἰκότως γε! you say. Ἐπαινῶ! Share it with us; write an example below this post on Patreon. Χάριν σοι οἶδα. Χαῖρε!

*****

Guide to the Variants of Lucian Pronunciation

ARISTOPHANES, Plutus. {0019.011}

ΧΡ.                 Μόνος γὰρ ἥδεθ’, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐσθίων.

ΓΡ.                 Καὶ τάς γε χεῖρας παγκάλας ἔχειν μ’ ἔφη, —

ΧΡ.                 ὁπότε προτείνοιέν γε δραχμὰς εἴκοσιν.

ΓΡ.                 ὄζειν τε τῆς χροιᾶς ἔφασκεν ἡδύ μου, —   (1020)

ΧΡ.                 εἰ Θάσιον ἐνέχεις, εἰκότως γε, νὴ Δία.

ΓΡ.                 Τὸ βλέμμα θ’ ὡς ἔχοιμι μαλακὸν καὶ καλόν.