στοιχεῖον

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 27 February 2015

Etymology

στοῖχος (stoîkhos) + -εῖον (-eîon)

Pronunciation

 

Noun

στοιχεῖον (stoikheîon) n (genitive στοιχείου); second declension

  1. (properly) one of a row:
    1. (in the sun-dial) the shadow of the gnomon, which advances regularly hour after hour
  2. (generally) one of a series, a component part, an element:
    1. a simple sound of the voice, as the first element of language; an elementary sound, as distinct from a letter (γράμμα, grámma)
    2. (physics, usually in the plural) any one of the component parts of matter, an element
      1. (Aristotelianism) the material cause of a thing, as opposed to the formal or motive cause (ἀρχή, arkhḗ)
    3. (in the plural) the elements of knowledge and the sciences
      1. (geometry) points, lines, surfaces
      2. (arithmetic) units
      3. (grammar) parts of speech
      4. (logic) the major premisses of syllogisms
      5. (rhetoric) commonplaces
    4. (generally) a simple or elementary principle
    5. (in later writers) a planet
      • Eccl.
      • Vales. ad Eus., H.E. 3.31
      • Manetho 4.624
      1. (especially) a sign of the Zodiac

Declension

Synonyms

  • (physics: component part of matter, element): ἀρχή (arkhḗ) (in Thales and Anaximenes, but not in Aristotle), ῥίζωμᾰ (rhízōma) (Empedoclean)
  • (sign of the Zodiac): στοιχειώμᾰτᾰ n pl (stoikheiṓmata)

Derived terms

Descendants

References

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