ἥκω

Ancient Greek

Etymology

A perfective verb of uncertain origin, but seems to be related to the present-meaning ἵκω (híkō, “to come”), and thus come from Proto-Indo-European *seyk- (“to reach for”), though the aspectual difference and phonetics are difficult to resolve.^[1]

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hɛ̌ː.kɔː/ → /ˈi.ko/ → /ˈi.ko/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hɛ̌ː.kɔː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)e̝.ko/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ko/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ko/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ko/

Verb

ἥκω • (hḗkō)

1. to have come, to be present
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.478
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 13.325
   • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Olympian Ode 4.12
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 661
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.91
   • 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 327C
   • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.50
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 103
   • 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 738
   • 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 265
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.54
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 1116
   • 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 275
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.5.25
   • c. 440 BCE, Euripides, Rhesus 337
   • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.50
   • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Libation Bearers 3
   • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.157
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.137
   • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Libation Bearers 659
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Fragments 770
   • 50 CE – 100 CE, The Gospel of John 6:37
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 734
   • 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 336B
   • 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, On the Embassy 178
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 7.6.2
   • 330 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Crown 28
   • 407 BCE, Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 886
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.3.4
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 717
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 724
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 730
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Fragments 271.6
   • 405 BCE, Euripides, The Bacchae 1
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 5.3.26
   • 424 BCE, Euripides, Hecuba 748
   • 428 BCE, Euripides, Hippolytus 273
   • 409 BCE, Sophocles, Philoctetes 377
   • 343 BCE, Demosthenes, On the False Embassy 58
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1227
   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 310E
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Hellenica 4.5.9
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 5.5.42
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 12
2. to have reached a point
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1030
   • 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 170
   • 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Apology 25E
   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Charmides 157D
   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1492
   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 687
   1. (with an adverb followed by a genitive)
      • 380 BCE, Plato, Euthydemus 294E
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.30
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 5.62
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.102
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.111
      • 60 BCE – 7 BCE, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Commentaries on the Attic Orators: On Dinarchus 1
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.149
      • 458 BCE, Euripides, Electra 751
      • 430 BCE, Euripides, Herakles' Children 213
      • 110 CE – 180 CE, Pausanias Periegeta, Graeciae Descriptio 4.21.10
      • 175 CE – 235 CE, Claudius Aelianus, On the Nature of Animals 4.34
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.30
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.157
3. to have come back, returned
   • 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Leptines 73
   • 440 BCE – 390 BCE, Andocides, On his Return 13
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.1.9
   • 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 275
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 1021
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 53
4. (pleonastic, with a participle)
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 579
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 357
   • 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 265
   • 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 518D
   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 117A
   • 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 491C
   • 408 BCE, Euripides, The Phoenician Women 706
   • 408 BCE, Euripides, The Phoenician Women 1075
5. (simply, like γίγνομαι (gígnomai))
   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1519
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 636
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 1201
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 4.126
6. (of things) to have come, to be brought
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 2.2.3
   • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 8.140
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1177
   • 525 BCE – 455 BCE, Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 103
   • 405 BCE, Aristophanes, The Frogs 606
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1472
   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 953
   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 713
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.54
   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 6.77
   • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1301
   • 413 BCE, Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 42
   • 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Against Eratosthenes 79
   • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1240
7. to concern, relate, belong to
   • 415 BCE, Euripides, The Trojan Women 154
   • 388 BCE, Aristophanes, Plutus 919
   • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.5.13
   • 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Collected Works 5.81
   • 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 12.15.9
   • 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 28.17.2
8. to depend upon
   • 343 BCE, Demosthenes, On the False Embassy 30
   • 280 BCE – 220 BCE, Philo of Byzantium, Compendium of Mechanics 2.21
   • 200 CE – 400 CE, Heliodorus of Emesa, Aethiopica 4.7
9. (with infinitive)
   • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 738
   • 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 291
10. (with participle)
    • 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 24.9.11

Inflection

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἥκω	ἥκεις	ἥκει	ἥκετον	ἥκετον	ἥκομεν	ἥκετε	ἥκουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἥκω	ἥκῃς	ἥκῃ	ἥκητον	ἥκητον	ἥκωμεν	ἥκητε	ἥκωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἥκοιμῐ	ἥκοις	ἥκοι	ἥκοιτον	ἡκοίτην	ἥκοιμεν	ἥκοιτε	ἥκοιεν
	imperative		ἧκε	ἡκέτω	ἥκετον	ἡκέτων		ἥκετε	ἡκόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	ἥκομαι	ἥκῃ, ἥκει	ἥκεται	ἥκεσθον	ἥκεσθον	ἡκόμεθᾰ	ἥκεσθε	ἥκονται
	subjunctive	ἥκωμαι	ἥκῃ	ἥκηται	ἥκησθον	ἥκησθον	ἡκώμεθᾰ	ἥκησθε	ἥκωνται
	optative	ἡκοίμην	ἥκοιο	ἥκοιτο	ἥκοισθον	ἡκοίσθην	ἡκοίμεθᾰ	ἥκοισθε	ἥκοιντο
	imperative		ἥκου	ἡκέσθω	ἥκεσθον	ἡκέσθων		ἥκεσθε	ἡκέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		ἥκειν				ἥκεσθαι
participle	m	ἥκων				ἡκόμενος
	f	ἥκουσᾰ				ἡκομένη
	n	ἧκον				ἡκόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Present: ἥκω, ἥκομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἧκον	ἧκες	ἧκε(ν)	ἥκετον	ἡκέτην	ἥκομεν	ἥκετε	ἧκον
middle/ passive	indicative	ἡκόμην	ἥκου	ἥκετο	ἥκεσθον	ἡκέσθην	ἡκόμεθᾰ	ἥκεσθε	ἥκοντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: ἧκον, ἡκόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἥξω	ἥξεις	ἥξει	ἥξετον	ἥξετον	ἥξομεν	ἥξετε	ἥξουσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἥξοιμῐ	ἥξοις	ἥξοι	ἥξοιτον	ἡξοίτην	ἥξοιμεν	ἥξοιτε	ἥξοιεν
middle	indicative	ἥξομαι	ἥξῃ, ἥξει	ἥξεται	ἥξεσθον	ἥξεσθον	ἡξόμεθᾰ	ἥξεσθε	ἥξονται
	optative	ἡξοίμην	ἥξοιο	ἥξοιτο	ἥξοισθον	ἡξοίσθην	ἡξοίμεθᾰ	ἥξοισθε	ἥξοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		ἥξειν			ἥξεσθαι
participle	m	ἥξων			ἡξόμενος
	f	ἥξουσᾰ			ἡξομένη
	n	ἧξον			ἡξόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Future: ἥξω, ἥξομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἧξᾰ	ἧξᾰς	ἧξε(ν)	ἥξᾰτον	ἡξᾰ́την	ἥξᾰμεν	ἥξᾰτε	ἧξᾰν
	subjunctive	ἥξω	ἥξῃς	ἥξῃ	ἥξητον	ἥξητον	ἥξωμεν	ἥξητε	ἥξωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἥξαιμῐ	ἥξειᾰς, ἥξαις	ἥξειε(ν), ἥξαι	ἥξαιτον	ἡξαίτην	ἥξαιμεν	ἥξαιτε	ἥξειᾰν, ἥξαιεν
	imperative		ἧξον	ἡξᾰ́τω	ἥξᾰτον	ἡξᾰ́των		ἥξᾰτε	ἡξᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἡξᾰ́μην	ἥξω	ἥξᾰτο	ἥξᾰσθον	ἡξᾰ́σθην	ἡξᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἥξᾰσθε	ἥξᾰντο
	subjunctive	ἥξωμαι	ἥξῃ	ἥξηται	ἥξησθον	ἥξησθον	ἡξώμεθᾰ	ἥξησθε	ἥξωνται
	optative	ἡξαίμην	ἥξαιο	ἥξαιτο	ἥξαισθον	ἡξαίσθην	ἡξαίμεθᾰ	ἥξαισθε	ἥξαιντο
	imperative		ἧξαι	ἡξᾰ́σθω	ἥξᾰσθον	ἡξᾰ́σθων		ἥξᾰσθε	ἡξᾰ́σθων
		active			middle
infinitive		ἧξαι			ἥξᾰσθαι
participle	m	ἥξᾱς			ἡξᾰ́μενος
	f	ἥξᾱσᾰ			ἡξᾰμένη
	n	ἧξᾰν			ἡξᾰ́μενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Aorist: ἧξᾰ, ἡξᾰ́μην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἧκᾰ	ἧκᾰς	ἧκε(ν)	ἥκᾰτον	ἥκᾰτον	ἥκᾰμεν	ἥκᾰτε	ἥκᾱσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἥκω	ἥκῃς	ἥκῃ	ἥκητον	ἥκητον	ἥκωμεν	ἥκητε	ἥκωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἥκοιμῐ, ἡκοίην	ἥκοις, ἡκοίης	ἥκοι, ἡκοίη	ἥκοιτον	ἡκοίτην	ἥκοιμεν	ἥκοιτε	ἥκοιεν
	imperative		ἧκε	ἡκέτω	ἥκετον	ἡκέτων		ἥκετε	ἡκόντων
		active
infinitive		ἡκέναι
participle	m	ἡκώς
	f	ἡκυῖᾰ
	n	ἡκός
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Perfect: ἧκᾰ

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἥκειν, ἥκη	ἥκεις, ἥκης	ἥκει(ν)	ἥκετον	ἡκέτην	ἥκεμεν	ἥκετε	ἥκεσᾰν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Pluperfect: ἥκειν

Derived terms

• ἐφήκω (ephḗkō)
• κᾰθήκω (kăthḗkō)
• πᾰρήκω (părḗkō)
• προσήκω (prosḗkō)

 

References

1. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “513”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page ἥκω

Further reading

• “ἥκω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἥκω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἥκω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἥκω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἥκω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• G2240 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible