# λαμβάνω
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* λάζομαι (lázomai) — Homeric
* λαββάνω (labbánō)

### Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *hlagʷ-, probably from a Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₂gʷ- (“to take, grasp”), with cognates including Old English læċċan (English latch) and possibly Sanskrit लग् (lag, “to be attached”). This etymology is supported by the form ΛΗΑΒΩΝ (lhabōn, aorist participle) found in an inscription in Corfu indicating initial voiceless /l̥/, which would have developed from a Proto-Indo-European *sl- cluster. Also see λάζομαι (lázomai) and λάφυρον (láphuron).
The present stem λαμβάνω (lambánō) has zero-grade of the PIE root with nasal infix and suffix, like λανθάνω (lanthánō, “do secretly”) and τυγχάνω (tunkhánō, “happen”). The second aorist ἔλᾰβον (élăbon) has zero-grade and no further modifications, like ἔλαθον (élathon) and ἔτυχον (étukhon). The forms with eta, such as future λήψομαι (lḗpsomai), have e-grade, like λήσω (lḗsō) and τεύξομαι (teúxomai). The e-grade perfect εἴληφα (eílēpha) derives from reduplication of the original stem in *sl- (*sesl- > *εἱλ- (*heil-) regularly followed by unexpected loss of aspiration). The change from β (b) to φ (ph) is regular.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lam.bá.nɔː/ → /lamˈba.no/ → /lamˈba.no/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /lam.bá.nɔː/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /lamˈba.no/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /lamˈba.no/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /lamˈba.no/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /lamˈba.no/

### Verb

λᾰμβᾰ́νω • (lămbắnō)
* to take
** to take hold of, grasp, seize
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 6.81:ἡ δ’ ἔλαβεν μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία σιγαλόενταhē d’ élaben mástiga kaì hēnía sigalóentaand she took the whip and bright reins
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.286:χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρα λαβόντεςkheirì dè kheîra labóntesclasping his hand in theirs
*** to take by force, plunder
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.273:εἰ τούτω κε λάβοιμεν, ἀροίμεθά κε κλέος ἐσθλόν.ei toútō ke láboimen, aroímethá ke kléos esthlón.Could we but take these twain, we should win us goodly renown.
*** to exact (punishment)
**** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, On the Murder of Eratosthenes 29:καὶ ταύτην ἔλαβον τὴν δίκηνkaì taútēn élabon tḕn díkēnand I exacted that punishment
** (of emotions) to seize
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.387:Ἀτρεΐωνα δ’ ἔπειτα χόλος λάβενAtreḯōna d’ épeita khólos lábenthereafter anger seized the son of Atreus
*** (of a god) to possess
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.79.4:ὅτι βακχεύομεν καὶ ἡμέας ὁ θεὸς λαμβάνειhóti bakkheúomen kaì hēméas ho theòs lambáneibecause we play the Bacchant and the god possesses us
*** (of darkness, etc.) to cover
**** 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 365:κνέφας δὲ τέμενος αἰθέρος λάβῃknéphas dè témenos aithéros lábēiand darkness had covered the region of the sky
** to catch, overtake
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.159:ἔνθ’ υἷας Πριάμοιο δύω λάβεénth’ huîas Priámoio dúō lábeThen took he two sons of Priam
** to catch, discover, detect
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 2.89.2:λαμφθῆναι γὰρ τινὰ φασὶ μισγόμενον νεκρῷ προσφάτῳ γυναικόςlamphthênai gàr tinà phasì misgómenon nekrôi prosphátōi gunaikósFor it is said that one was caught having intercourse with the fresh corpse of a woman
** to bind (under oath)
*** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 276:ὥσπερ μ’ ἀραῖον ἔλαβες, ὧδ’, ἄναξ, ἐρῶ.hṓsper m’ araîon élabes, hôd’, ánax, erô.As you have bound me under oath, my king, I will speak.
** to keep
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.42.2:τὴν Ἴδην δὲ λαβὼν ἐς ἀριστερὴν χεῖραtḕn Ídēn dè labṑn es aristerḕn kheîrakeeping Ida on the left
** to take (food or drugs)
*** Diocl., Fr. 121:τὸν σικυόν φησι μετὰ σιτίων ἐν πρώτοις λαμβανόμενον ἐνοχλεῖνtòn sikuón phēsi metà sitíōn en prṓtois lambanómenon enokhleîn[he] says that cucumber, if it is taken with the sium in the first course, makes the eater uncomfortable
** to perceive, understand
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.41.1:ταῦτα ἐπιλεξάμενος […] καὶ νόῳ λαβὼν ὥς οἱ εὖ ὑπετίθετο Ἄμασιςtaûta epilexámenos […] kaì nóōi labṑn hṓs hoi eû hupetítheto Ámasisreading this, and perceiving that Amasis' advice was good
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 7.142.3:οἱ γὰρ χρησμολόγοι ταύτῃ ταῦτα ἐλάμβανονhoi gàr khrēsmológoi taútēi taûta elámbanonfor the readers of oracles took the verses to mean [that] […]
*** (logic) to assume, take as granted
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Prior Analytics 46b.6
** to undertake
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.71.3: […] ἐπιχείρησιν ταύτην μὴ οὕτω συντάχυνε ἀβούλως, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τὸ σωφρονέστερον αὐτὴν λάμβανε[…] epikheírēsin taútēn mḕ hoútō suntákhune aboúlōs, all’ epì tò sōphronésteron autḕn lámbanedon not hurry this undertaking without thinking, but take it up more prudently
* to get
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.427:ἂψ ὅ γε τὴν ἀπέλυσε λαβὼν ἀπερείσι’ ἄποιναàps hó ge tḕn apéluse labṑn apereísi’ ápoinabut thereafter set her free, when he had received ransom past counting
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 23.275:ἦ τ’ ἂν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτα λαβὼνê t’ àn egṑ tà prôta labṑnsurely it were that I should win the first prize
** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King :τίς οὗτος ἔσται, τίς παραρρίψει, τέκνα, τοιαῦτ’ ὀνείδη λαμβάνωνtís hoûtos éstai, tís pararrhípsei, tékna, toiaût’ oneídē lambánōnwho shall be the man, my daughters, to risk suffering reproach […]
*** I receive hospitably
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 7.255:ἥ με λαβοῦσα ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλειhḗ me laboûsa endukéōs ephíleiShe took me to her home with kindly welcome
*** I receive in marriage
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 9.108.1:δοκέων αὐτὴν μᾶλλον λάμψεσθαι ἢν ταῦτα ποιήσῃdokéōn autḕn mâllon lámpsesthai ḕn taûta poiḗsēifor he thought that by doing so he would be most likely to win her
*** I conceive
**** 460 BCE – 370 BCE, Hippocrates of Kos, Prorrhetics 2.24
** to admit
*** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Olympian Ode 1.81:ὁ μέγας δὲ κίνδυνος ἄναλκιν οὐ φῶτα λαμβάνει.ho mégas dè kíndunos ánalkin ou phôta lambánei.Great danger does not admit of a coward.
** (of emotions)
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 10.461:εἰς ὅ κεν αὖτις θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι λάβητεeis hó ken aûtis thumòn enì stḗthessi lábēteuntil you once again take heart
*** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 729:ὁρῶ τιν’ ὑμᾶς ὀμμάτων εἰληφότας φόβον νεώρη τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπεισόδουhorô tin’ humâs ommátōn eilēphótas phóbon neṓrē tês emês epeisódouI see from your eyes that you feel a sudden fear at my coming
* (middle voice) to take hold of
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.325:ἀλλὰ μεθορμηθεὶς ἐνὶ κύμασιν ἐλλάβετ’ αὐτῆςallà methormētheìs enì kúmasin ellábet’ autêsbut sprang after [his raft] amid the waves, and took hold of it
** to lay hands upon
** to find fault with, censure
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 637c
*** 170 CE – 250 CE, Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana 4.22
** to check oneself
*** 200 CE – 400 CE, Heliodorus of Emesa, Aethiopica 2.24

#### Inflection

Along with a few others (ἐλθέ (elthé), ἰδέ (idé), εὑρέ (heuré), εἰπέ (eipé)), the aorist imperative has an irregular accent: λαβέ (labé) and not **λάβε. This is not the case in compounds, however.

#### Derived terms

* ἀκανθολᾰ́βος (akantholắbos)
* ἄληπτος (álēptos)
* ἀμφῐλαμβᾰ́νω (amphĭlambắnō)
* ᾰ̓νᾰλαμβᾰ́νω (ănălambắnō)
* ἀντῐλαμβᾰ́νω (antĭlambắnō)
* ᾰ́πολαμβᾰ́νω (ắpolambắnō)
* ἀστρολᾰ́βος (astrolắbos)
* αὐτόλᾰβος (autólăbos)
* δεξιολᾰ́βος (dexiolắbos)
* δῐᾰλαμβᾰ́νω (dĭălambắnō)
* ἐκλαμβᾰ́νω (eklambắnō)
* ἐλλαμβᾰ́νω (ellambắnō)
* ἐπῐλαμβᾰ́νω (epĭlambắnō)
* ἐργόλᾰβος (ergólăbos)
* εὐλᾰβής (eulăbḗs)
* κᾰτᾰλαμβᾰ́νω (kătălambắnō)
* λαβάργῠρος (labárgŭros)
* λαβή (labḗ)
* λῆμμα (lêmma)
* ληπτέος (lēptéos)
* λήπτης (lḗptēs)
* ληπτικός (lēptikós)
* ληπτός (lēptós)
* λῆψις (lêpsis)
* λῐθολᾰ́βος (lĭtholắbos)
* μεσολᾰβής (mesolăbḗs)
* μεσόλᾰβος (mesólăbos)
* μετᾰλαμβᾰ́νω (metălambắnō)
* μολὼν λαβέ (molṑn labé)
* ὀξῠλᾰβής (oxŭlăbḗs)
* ὀξῠ́λᾰβος (oxŭ́lăbos)
* πᾰρᾰλαμβᾰ́νω (părălambắnō)
* περιλαμβᾰ́νω (perilambắnō)
* προλαμβᾰ́νω (prolambắnō)
* προσλαμβᾰ́νω (proslambắnō)
* συλλαμβᾰ́νω (sullambắnō)
* ῠ̔πολαμβᾰ́νω (hŭpolambắnō)
* χειλολᾰ́βος (kheilolắbos)
* χρῡσολᾰβής (khrūsolăbḗs)

#### Related terms

* λαβίς (labís)
* λάφυρα (láphura)

#### Descendants

* → Greek: λαμβάνω (lamváno)
* Greek: λαβαίνω (lavaíno)

### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “λαμβάνω”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 828-9

### Further reading

* “λαμβάνω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “λαμβάνω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “λαμβάνω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* λαμβάνω in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
* λαμβάνω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* “λαμβάνω”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
* G2983 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
* λαμβάνω in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

## Greek
### Alternative forms

* λαβαίνω (lavaíno) (colloquial, not common)

### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek λαμβάνω (lambánō). Doublet of λαβαίνω (lavaíno).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /laɱˈva.no/
* Hyphenation: λαμ‧βά‧νω

### Verb

λαμβάνω • (lamváno) (past έλαβα, passive λαμβάνομαι, p‑past λήφθηκα/ελήφθην, ppp ειλημμένος)
* (formal) to get, receive
    Η τηλεόρασή μου δεν λαμβάνει σήμα πολύ καλά. ― I tileórasí mou den lamvánei síma polý kalá. ― My tv set does not receive a signal very well.
* to take
* (figuratively) to understand, get

#### Synonyms

* (get): παίρνω (paírno)

#### Related terms

* ειλημμένος (eilimménos, “received”, participle)
* εργολάβος f (ergolávos, “contractor”)
* λαβή f (laví, “handle”)
* λαμβανόμενος (lamvanómenos, participle)
* λαμβάνω χώρα (lamváno chóra, “take place”)
* λήπτης m (líptis, “receiver”)
* ληφθείς (liftheís, participle), ληφθείσα (liftheísa), ληφθέν (lifthén)
* λήψη f (lípsi)
* -ληψία f (-lipsía)
* ανακαταλαμβάνω (anakatalamváno, “recapture”)
* αναλαμβάνω (analamváno)
* ανταπολαμβάνω (antapolamváno)
* αντιλαμβάνομαι (antilamvánomai, “realise”)
* απολαμβάνω (apolamváno, “enjoy”)
* διαλαμβάνω (dialamváno)
* εκλαμβάνω (eklamváno)
* επαναλαμβάνω (epanalamváno, “repeat”)
* επαναπροσλαμβάνω (epanaproslamváno)
* επιλαμβάνομαι (epilamvánomai)
* καταλαβαίνω (katalavaíno, “I understand, realise, notice”)
* καταλαμβάνω (katalamváno, “seize, to acquire sovereignty”)
* μεταλαμβάνω (metalamváno)
* παραλαμβάνω (paralamváno, “receive”)
* περιλαμβάνω (perilamváno, “include”)
* προκαταλαμβάνω (prokatalamváno)
* προλαμβάνω (prolamváno)
* προσλαμβάνω (proslamváno, “hire”)
* συλλαμβάνω (syllamváno, “arrest, conceive”)
* συμπεριλαμβάνω (symperilamváno, “include”)