daímōn

From δαίομαι (daíomai, “to divide”) +‎ -μων (-mōn), from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂-i- (“to divide, cut”). For similar semantic development compare Old Persian 𐎲𐎥 (b-g /⁠baga⁠/, “god”), Sanskrit भग (bhága, “dispenser, patron”) (usually applied to gods) beside Avestan⁧𐬠𐬀𐬔𐬀-⁩ (baga-, “part”) and Sanskrit भजति (bhájati, “to divide, apportion”). Compare the etymology of English time.

Pronunciation

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• IPA^(key): /dǎi̯.mɔːn/ → /ˈðɛ.mon/ → /ˈðe.mon/

Noun

δαίμων • (daímōn) m or f (genitive δαίμονος); third declension

1. god, goddess [ quotations ▼]
   1. divine power, deity [ quotations ▼]
   2. guardian spirit (Latin genius), and so one's fate, destiny, fortune [ quotations ▼]
2. departed soul [ quotations ▼]
3. (ecclesiastical, biblical) demon, evil spirit [ quotations ▼]

Usage notes

• While δαίμων was sometimes used interchangeably with θεός (theós), when used together in a context, a δαίμων is usually a lower god than a θεός (theós).
• Even though it is attested mainly as a philosophical divine or spiritual entity (often with a negative sense), its earlier meaning should be semantically related to its root, giving us “ruler who divides [the supplies]”. After a given amount of time this meaning has been going through a demonization process (sic!), while the opposite can be affirmed for the apotheosis process θεός (theós) has met, which in turn initially meant “ruler” or, verbatim, “the one who puts in place”. Compare the word Λᾰκεδαίμων (Lakedaímōn), meaning literally “the Laconian distributor [of the supplies]”.