λέπω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The primary thematic present has no direct correspondences outside Greek. There are few nominal formations resembling the Greek forms: Lithuanian lãpas (“leaf”) and lõpas (“rag, piece”), Albanian lapë (“rag, leaf, peritoneum”), Russian ла́поть (lápotʹ, “bast shoe, bast sandal”). The form λέπος (lépos) was also compared with the s-stem Latin lepōs (“grace”). However, Beekes concludes that the verb is not Indo-European: in fact there is hardly any exact correspondence and the semantics are not very convincing. Note the forms λεπάγιον (lepágion), λεπακινός (lepakinós), λέπασμα (lépasma), λέπυρον (lépuron), λεπύχανον (lepúkhanon), λέπρα (lépra), λώψ (lṓps) and λῶπος (lôpos), with suffixes and/or alternations of Pre-Greek appearance.^[1]

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /lé.pɔː/ → /ˈle.po/ → /ˈle.po/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /lé.pɔː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈle.po/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈle.po/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈle.po/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈle.po/

Verb

λέπω • (lépō)

1. to peel, bark, strip off the rind or husks
2. (figuratively) to give a hiding to, thrash
3. (mediopassive) to masturbate, indulge in indecent gestures

   Synonym: δέφω (déphō)

Conjugation

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	λέπω	λέπεις	λέπει	λέπετον	λέπετον	λέπομεν	λέπετε	λέπουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	λέπω	λέπῃς	λέπῃ	λέπητον	λέπητον	λέπωμεν	λέπητε	λέπωσῐ(ν)
	optative	λέποιμῐ	λέποις	λέποι	λέποιτον	λεποίτην	λέποιμεν	λέποιτε	λέποιεν
	imperative		λέπε	λεπέτω	λέπετον	λεπέτων		λέπετε	λεπόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	λέπομαι	λέπῃ, λέπει	λέπεται	λέπεσθον	λέπεσθον	λεπόμεθᾰ	λέπεσθε	λέπονται
	subjunctive	λέπωμαι	λέπῃ	λέπηται	λέπησθον	λέπησθον	λεπώμεθᾰ	λέπησθε	λέπωνται
	optative	λεποίμην	λέποιο	λέποιτο	λέποισθον	λεποίσθην	λεποίμεθᾰ	λέποισθε	λέποιντο
	imperative		λέπου	λεπέσθω	λέπεσθον	λεπέσθων		λέπεσθε	λεπέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		λέπειν				λέπεσθαι
participle	m	λέπων				λεπόμενος
	f	λέπουσᾰ				λεπομένη
	n	λέπον				λεπόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Present: λέπω, λέπομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔλεπον	ἔλεπες	ἔλεπε(ν)	ἐλέπετον	ἐλεπέτην	ἐλέπομεν	ἐλέπετε	ἔλεπον
middle/ passive	indicative	ἐλεπόμην	ἐλέπου	ἐλέπετο	ἐλέπεσθον	ἐλεπέσθην	ἐλεπόμεθᾰ	ἐλέπεσθε	ἐλέποντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: ἔλεπον, ἐλεπόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	λέψω	λέψεις	λέψει	λέψετον	λέψετον	λέψομεν	λέψετε	λέψουσῐ(ν)
	optative	λέψοιμῐ	λέψοις	λέψοι	λέψοιτον	λεψοίτην	λέψοιμεν	λέψοιτε	λέψοιεν
middle	indicative	λέψομαι	λέψῃ, λέψει	λέψεται	λέψεσθον	λέψεσθον	λεψόμεθᾰ	λέψεσθε	λέψονται
	optative	λεψοίμην	λέψοιο	λέψοιτο	λέψοισθον	λεψοίσθην	λεψοίμεθᾰ	λέψοισθε	λέψοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		λέψειν			λέψεσθαι
participle	m	λέψων			λεψόμενος
	f	λέψουσᾰ			λεψομένη
	n	λέψον			λεψόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Future: λέψω, λέψομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔλεψᾰ	ἔλεψᾰς	ἔλεψε(ν)	ἐλέψᾰτον	ἐλεψᾰ́την	ἐλέψᾰμεν	ἐλέψᾰτε	ἔλεψᾰν
	subjunctive	λέψω	λέψῃς	λέψῃ	λέψητον	λέψητον	λέψωμεν	λέψητε	λέψωσῐ(ν)
	optative	λέψαιμῐ	λέψειᾰς, λέψαις	λέψειε(ν), λέψαι	λέψαιτον	λεψαίτην	λέψαιμεν	λέψαιτε	λέψειᾰν, λέψαιεν
	imperative		λέψον	λεψᾰ́τω	λέψᾰτον	λεψᾰ́των		λέψᾰτε	λεψᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἐλεψᾰ́μην	ἐλέψω	ἐλέψᾰτο	ἐλέψᾰσθον	ἐλεψᾰ́σθην	ἐλεψᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐλέψᾰσθε	ἐλέψᾰντο
	subjunctive	λέψωμαι	λέψῃ	λέψηται	λέψησθον	λέψησθον	λεψώμεθᾰ	λέψησθε	λέψωνται
	optative	λεψαίμην	λέψαιο	λέψαιτο	λέψαισθον	λεψαίσθην	λεψαίμεθᾰ	λέψαισθε	λέψαιντο
	imperative		λέψαι	λεψᾰ́σθω	λέψᾰσθον	λεψᾰ́σθων		λέψᾰσθε	λεψᾰ́σθων
		active			middle
infinitive		λέψαι			λέψᾰσθαι
participle	m	λέψᾱς			λεψᾰ́μενος
	f	λέψᾱσᾰ			λεψᾰμένη
	n	λέψᾰν			λεψᾰ́μενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Aorist: ἔλεψᾰ, ἐλεψᾰ́μην

Derived terms

• ἀπολέπω (apolépō)
• ἐκλέπω (eklépō)
• ἐπῐλέπω (epilépō)
• λέπος (lépos)
• λεπρός (leprós)
• λεπτός (leptós)
• λέπῡρον (lépūron)
• λοπός (lopós)
• λώπη (lṓpē)
• λῶπος (lôpos)
• περῐλέπω (perilépō)

 

References

1. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “λέπω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 848-50

Further reading

• “λέπω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “λέπω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• λέπω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette