ἔλπω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἐέλπω (eélpō)

Etymology

From *ϝέλπω (*wélpō), perhaps from a Proto-Indo-European *welp- (“to hope, expect”), with Latin volup (“pleasurably”) as a cognate; see the Latin for more on the root.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /él.pɔː/ → /ˈel.po/ → /ˈel.po/

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

Verb

ἔλπω • (élpō)

1. to cause to hope
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 2.91
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 13.380
2. (middle voice)
   1. to hope, expect
      • 500 BCE – 400 BCE, Bacchylides, Fr. 12
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.609
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.539
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.701
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.404
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.495
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 3.275
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 9.419
      • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Nemean Ode 4.92
      • 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 4.243
   2. to expect anxiously, fear
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 9.113
   3. to deem, suppose
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.65
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 10.355
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.309
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 6.297
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 23.345
      • 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Theocritus, Collected Works 7.31
      • Palatine Anthology 5.115

Inflection

   Present: ἔλπω, ἔλπομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔλπω	ἔλπεις	ἔλπει	ἔλπετον	ἔλπετον	ἔλπομεν	ἔλπετε	ἔλπουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἔλπω	ἔλπῃς	ἔλπῃ	ἔλπητον	ἔλπητον	ἔλπωμεν	ἔλπητε	ἔλπωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἔλποιμῐ	ἔλποις	ἔλποι	ἔλποιτον	ἐλποίτην	ἔλποιμεν	ἔλποιτε	ἔλποιεν
	imperative		ἔλπε	ἐλπέτω	ἔλπετον	ἐλπέτων		ἔλπετε	ἐλπόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	ἔλπομαι	ἔλπῃ, ἔλπει	ἔλπεται	ἔλπεσθον	ἔλπεσθον	ἐλπόμεθᾰ	ἔλπεσθε	ἔλπονται
	subjunctive	ἔλπωμαι	ἔλπῃ	ἔλπηται	ἔλπησθον	ἔλπησθον	ἐλπώμεθᾰ	ἔλπησθε	ἔλπωνται
	optative	ἐλποίμην	ἔλποιο	ἔλποιτο	ἔλποισθον	ἐλποίσθην	ἐλποίμεθᾰ	ἔλποισθε	ἔλποιντο
	imperative		ἔλπου	ἐλπέσθω	ἔλπεσθον	ἐλπέσθων		ἔλπεσθε	ἐλπέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		ἔλπειν				ἔλπεσθαι
participle	m	ἔλπων				ἐλπόμενος
	f	ἔλπουσᾰ				ἐλπομένη
	n	ἔλπον				ἐλπόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Present: ἐέλπω, ἐέλπομαι (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐέλπω	ἐέλπεις	ἐέλπει	ἐέλπετον	ἐέλπετον	ἐέλπομεν	ἐέλπετε	ἐέλπουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἐέλπω, ἐέλπωμῐ	ἐέλπῃς, ἐέλπῃσθᾰ	ἐέλπῃ, ἐέλπῃσῐ	ἐέλπητον	ἐέλπητον	ἐέλπωμεν	ἐέλπητε	ἐέλπωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἐέλποιμῐ	ἐέλποισ(θᾰ)	ἐέλποι	ἐέλποιτον	ἐελποίτην	ἐέλποιμεν	ἐέλποιτε	ἐέλποιεν
	imperative		ἔελπε	ἐελπέτω	ἐέλπετον	ἐελπέτων		ἐέλπετε	ἐελπόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	ἐέλπομαι	ἐέλπεαι	ἐέλπεται	ἐέλπεσθον	ἐέλπεσθον	ἐελπόμε(σ)θᾰ	ἐέλπεσθε	ἐέλπονται
	subjunctive	ἐέλπωμαι	ἐέλπηαι	ἐέλπηται	ἐέλπησθον	ἐέλπησθον	ἐελπώμε(σ)θᾰ	ἐέλπησθε	ἐέλπωνται
	optative	ἐελποίμην	ἐέλποιο	ἐέλποιτο	ἐέλποισθον	ἐελποίσθην	ἐελποίμε(σ)θᾰ	ἐέλποισθε	ἐελποίᾰτο
	imperative		ἐέλπεο	ἐελπέσθω	ἐέλπεσθον	ἐελπέσθων		ἐέλπεσθε	ἐελπέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		ἐέλπειν/ἐελπέμεν(αι)/ἐέλπμεν(αι)				ἐέλπεσθαι
participle	m	ἐέλπων				ἐελπόμενος
	f	ἐέλπουσᾰ				ἐελπομένη
	n	ἐέλπον				ἐελπόμενον
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: ἐλπόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	ἐλπόμην	ἔλπου	ἔλπετο	ἔλπεσθον	ἐλπέσθην	ἐλπόμεθᾰ	ἔλπεσθε	ἔλποντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Imperfect: ἐελπόμην (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
middle/ passive	indicative	ἐελπόμην	ἐέλπου	ἐέλπετο	ἐέλπεσθον	ἐελπέσθην	ἐελπόμε(σ)θᾰ	ἐέλπεσθε	ἐέλποντο
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Perfect: ἔολπᾰ

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔολπᾰ	ἔολπᾰς	ἔολπε(ν)	ἐόλπᾰτον	ἐόλπᾰτον	ἐόλπᾰμεν	ἐόλπᾰτε	ἐόλπᾱσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	ἐόλπω	ἐόλπῃς	ἐόλπῃ	ἐόλπητον	ἐόλπητον	ἐόλπωμεν	ἐόλπητε	ἐόλπωσῐ(ν)
	optative	ἐόλποιμῐ, ἐολποίην	ἐόλποις, ἐολποίης	ἐόλποι, ἐολποίη	ἐόλποιτον	ἐολποίτην	ἐόλποιμεν	ἐόλποιτε	ἐόλποιεν
	imperative		ἔολπε	ἐολπέτω	ἐόλπετον	ἐολπέτων		ἐόλπετε	ἐολπόντων
		active
infinitive		ἐολπέναι
participle	m	ἐολπώς
	f	ἐολπυῖᾰ
	n	ἐολπός
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

   Pluperfect: ἐώλπειν

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἐώλπειν, ἐώλπη	ἐώλπεις, ἐώλπης	ἐώλπει(ν)	ἐώλπετον	ἐωλπέτην	ἐώλπεμεν	ἐώλπετε	ἐώλπεσᾰν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

• ἐλπίζω (elpízō)
• ἐπέλπομαι (epélpomai)

Related terms

• ἀελπής (aelpḗs)
• ἄελπτος (áelptos)
• ἐλπίς (elpís)

Further reading

• “ἔλπω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἔλπω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἔλπω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἔλπω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἔλπω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἔλπω in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)