English
hendiadys
Hendiadys comes from Ancient Greek ἕν.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕνhén
- Englishearliest quotation 1984hendiadys
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕνhén
- Englishearliest quotation 1984hendiadys
Earliest quotation: 1984, Wilfred G. E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry: “Some examples of hendiadys comprise two words in the…”
A compound of εἷς ‘one’ + διά ‘through’ + δύο ‘two’
Proto-Indo-European *sem- ‘one’
Proto-Indo-European *sḗm ‘one’
Proto-Hellenic *hens
Ancient Greek εἷς ‘one’
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ‘two’
Proto-Indo-European *dwís ‘twice, in two’
Ancient Greek διά ‘through’
Proto-Indo-European *duwó
Proto-Hellenic *dúwo ‘two’
Ancient Greek δύο ‘two’
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἕν
Today it means
noun A figure of speech used for emphasis, where two words joined by and are used to express a single complex idea.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἕν / hendiadys