pólemos

pólemos (πόλεμος) ‘Krieg, Kampf, Schlacht, Kriegsgetümmel’

According to Beekes, of Pre-Greek origin, as suggested by πτ/π variation in its variants.

However, the word has been connected to πάλλω (pállō, “to poise, sway, brandish”), πελεμίζω (pelemízō, “to shake, cause to quiver or tremble, struggle at the bow, in order to bend it”) and perhaps ψάλλω (psállō, “to pluck, twitch a string with the fingers; to sing to a harp, chant praises”), all possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to beat, push, drive”)(which Beekes finds semantically unconvincing, despite not being particularly farfetched).

Compare Latin pello (“to push, drive, strike; to rout, conquer, defeat; to strike a chord; to touch, move”) and palpo (“to touch softly, stroke, pat, caress”), English feel, Ancient Greek πλήσσω (plḗssō, “to strike, smite”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌼𐌰(usfilma, “terrified, appalled”), 𐌿𐍃𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌼𐌴𐌹 (usfilmei, “fright, horror, dismay”) – quasi analogies to ἐκπλήσσω (ekplḗssō) –, and Russian полох (polox, “fear, fright”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pó.le.mos/ → /ˈpo.le.mos/ → /ˈpo.le.mos/

Noun

πόλεμος • (pólemos) m (genitive πολέμου); second declension

1. war, battle