# δέω
## Ancient Greek
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /dé.ɔː/ → /ˈðe.o/ → /ˈðe.o/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /dé.ɔː/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /ˈde.o/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /ˈðe.o/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /ˈðe.o/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /ˈðe.o/

### Etymology 1

From Proto-Hellenic *deyō, from Proto-Indo-European *deh₁- (“to bind”). Cognates include Sanskrit द्यति (dyati), Avestan 𐬥𐬍𐬛𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬙𐬄𐬨 (nīdiiātąm) and Albanian duaj.

#### Alternative forms

* δέννω (dénnō)

#### Verb

δέω • (déō)
* to bind, tie, fasten, fetter
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 10.443:ἠέ με δήσαντες λίπετ’ αὐτόθι νηλέϊ δεσμῷēé me dḗsantes lípet’ autóthi nēléï desmôior bind me with a cruel bond and leave me here
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 10.475:ὠκέες ἵπποι ἐξ ἐπιδιφριάδος πυμάτης ἱμᾶσι δέδεντοōkées híppoi ex epidiphriádos pumátēs himâsi dédentohis swift horses were tethered by the reins to the topmost rim of the chariot
** (figuratively)
*** 522 BCE – 443 BCE, Pindar, Pythian Ode 3.54:ἀλλὰ κέρδει καὶ σοφία δέδεται.allà kérdei kaì sophía dédetai.But even skill is enthralled by the love of gain.
** (middle voice) to tie onto oneself
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.44:ποσσὶ δ’ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλαpossì d’ hupò liparoîsin edḗsato kalà pédilaand beneath his shining feet he bound his fair sandals
** (with genitive) to hinder from
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.380:ἀλλὰ σύ πέρ μοι εἰπέ […] ὅς τίς μ’ ἀθανάτων πεδάᾳ καὶ ἔδησε κελεύθουallà sú pér moi eipé […] hós tís m’ athanátōn pedáāi kaì édēse keleúthouBut do thou tell me […] who of the immortals fetters me here, and has hindered me from my path
** (medicine) to brace
*** 460 BCE – 370 BCE, Hippocrates of Kos, In the Surgery 17

##### Inflection

Unlike the other bisyllabic -έω verbs which contract only ε+ε and ε+ει, δέω, when meaning 'bind', occasionally contracts ε+ο, ε+ω.

##### Antonyms

* λῡ́ω (lū́ō)

##### Derived terms

* ᾰ̓γκιστρόδετος (ănkistródetos)
* ᾰ̓δᾰμαντόδετος (ădămantódetos)
* ᾰ̓́δετος (ắdetos)
* αἰχμόδετος (aikhmódetos)
* ᾰ̓κρόδετος (ăkródetos)
* ἁλῠσῐ́δετος (halŭsĭ́detos)
* ᾰ̓μαλλοδετήρ (ămallodetḗr)
* ἀμφῐδέω (amphĭdéō)
* ᾰ̓νᾰδέω (ănădéō)
* ἀντῐδέω (antĭdéō)
* ᾰ̓ποδέω (ăpodéō)
* ἀσκοδέτης (askodétēs)
* αὐτόδετος (autódetos)
* γομφόδετος (gomphódetos)
* δῐᾰδέω (dĭădéō)
* ἐκδέω (ekdéō)
* ἐλεφαντόδετος (elephantódetos)
* ἐμβολοδέτης (embolodétēs)
* ἐνδέω (endéō)
* ἐπῐδέω (epĭdéō)
* ζῠγόδεσμον (zŭgódesmon)
* ῐ̔μᾰντόδετος (hĭmăntódetos)
* ῐ̓όδετος (ĭódetos)
* ῐ̔πποδέτης (hĭppodétēs)
* ἰσχῡρόδετος (iskhūródetos)
* κᾰτᾰδέω (kătădéō)
* κερόδετος (keródetos)
* κηρόδετος (kēródetos)
* κισσόδετης (kissódetēs)
* κρήδεμνον (krḗdemnon)
* λῐνόδετος (lĭnódetos)
* μαλλόδετος (mallódetos)
* μαστόδετον (mastódeton)
* μᾰχαιροδέτης (măkhairodétēs)
* μελᾰ́νδετος (melắndetos)
* μῐτρόδετος (mĭtródetos)
* μολυβδόδετος (molubdódetos)
* ναύδετον (naúdeton)
* ὀπισθόδετος (opisthódetos)
* ὀστοδέτης (ostodétēs)
* οὐλοδέτης (oulodétēs)
* πᾰνδέτης (păndétēs)
* πᾰρᾰδέω (părădéō)
* περιδέω (peridéō)
* πηρόδετος (pēródetos)
* πλημνόδετον (plēmnódeton)
* προσδέω (prosdéō)
* σᾰγνόδετος (săgnódetos)
* σῐδηρόδετος (sĭdēródetos)
* σκελόδεσμον (skelódesmon)
* στρωμᾰτόδεσμον (strōmătódesmon)
* σῠνδέω (sŭndéō)
* ταυρόδετος (tauródetos)
* τῐᾱρόδεσμον (tĭāródesmon)
* ῠ̔περδέω (hŭperdéō)
* ῠ̔ποδέω (hŭpodéō)
* χαλκόδετος (khalkódetos)
* χρῡσόδετος (khrūsódetos)

##### Related terms

* δέμᾰ (démă)
* δέσῐς (désĭs)
* δέσμᾰ (désmă)
* δεσμός (desmós)
* δετέον (detéon)
* δετός (detós)
* δέτρον (détron)
* δητός (dētós)

##### Descendants

* Greek: δένω (déno)

#### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “δέω 1”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 321-2

#### Further reading

* “δέω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* G1210 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

### Etymology 2

Apparently from a Proto-Hellenic *dew(s)- (“to miss, want, need”) (without the *-s- if the earlier form was *δέϝω (*déwō), with the *-s- if the earlier form was *δεύσ-ω (*deús-ō)). In the latter case, perhaps cognate with Sanskrit दोष (doṣa, “fault, deficiency”). See also δῠσ- (dŭs-, “dys-, bad”), δεῖ (deî, “one must”).

#### Alternative forms

* δεύω (deúō) — Aeolic, Epic

#### Verb

δέω • (déō)
* to lack, need, require [with genitive ‘something, someone’]
** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, The Statesman 277d:παραδείγματος […] αὖ μοι καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα αὐτὸ δεδέηκεν.paradeígmatos […] aû moi kaì tò parádeigma autò dedéēken.The very example I employ requires another example.
** with πολλοῦ (polloû) to be far from being able to do [with infinitive ‘something’]
*** 400 BCE – 387 BCE, Plato, Apology 30d:πολλοῦ δέω ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπολογεῖσθαιpolloû déō egṑ hupèr emautoû apologeîsthaiI am far from giving a defense for myself
** participle δέων (déōn)
*** modifying a noun, with genitive of the number by which something is less than another thing: lacking a number: a number less than something, something minus a number; often used to express numbers ending in 8 or 9
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.14.1:δυῶν δέοντα τεσσεράκοντα ἔτεαduôn déonta tesserákonta éteaforty minus two years; two less than forty years [= 38 years]
*** with both the participle and the number in the genitive: genitive absolute: with a number lacking, a number less than
**** 3rd century CE, Diogenes Laertius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers 5.27:πόλεων δυοῖν δεούσαιν ἑξήκονταpóleōn duoîn deoúsain hexḗkontasixty cities with two lacking or two less than sixty [= 58 cities]
* (middle voice, never impersonal, transitive) to lack, not have, or need [with genitive ‘something’]
** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1148:ἐπεὶ τὰ σὰ δεῖται κολαστοῦ μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ τοῦδ’ ἔπη.epeì tà sà deîtai kolastoû mâllon ḕ tà toûd’ épē.Your words need rebuking more than his.
** (intransitive) to need [with infinitive ‘to do something’]
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 392d:ἔτι δέομαι σαφέστερον μαθεῖνéti déomai saphésteron matheînI still need to understand more plainly.
** (intransitive) to be in need
    οἱ δεόμενοιhoi deómenoithe needy
** (transitive) to beg [with genitive ‘something’ and genitive ‘from someone’; or with genitive ‘someone’ and infinitive ‘to do something’]
*** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.157.1:ἐπιτρέπεσθαι ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν τῶν ἐδέετο σφέωνepitrépesthai hétoimoi êsan tôn edéeto sphéōnthey were ready to entrust to him all that he asked from them
* (construction)
** (peculiar Attic phrase)
*** (οἴομαι δεῖν) to hold it necessary, think it one's duty
**** 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Meno 95C
**** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 207E
**** 361 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Midias 143
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Funeral Speech 31
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 316C
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.6.26
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 4.6.3
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1152A.6
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1136B.8
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Hipparchus 225B
**** 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 28
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Second Alcibiades 144D

##### Usage notes

The third person and non-finite forms are also used impersonally: see δεῖ (deî).
Other forms: δεοῦμαι (deoûmai) for δεήσομαι (deḗsomai) (Doric: Epicharmus, Collected Works 120).

##### Inflection

This δέω, meaning “need”, follows the pattern of the -έω bisyllabic verbs: it contracts only to ει.

##### Derived terms

* ᾰ̓δεής (ădeḗs)
* ᾰ̓́δειᾰ (ắdeiă)
* ἀντῐδέομαι (antĭdéomai)
* ᾰ̓ποδέω (ăpodéō)
* αὐτοδεής (autodeḗs)
* ἐκδεής (ekdeḗs)
* ἐνδέω (endéō)
* ἐπῐδέω (epĭdéō)
* ἡμῐδεής (hēmĭdeḗs)
* κᾰτᾰδέομαι (kătădéomai)
* κᾰτᾰδέω (kătădéō)
* λῐποδεής (lĭpodeḗs)
* λογοδεής (logodeḗs)
* ὀλῐγοδεής (olĭgodeḗs)
* ὀψόδειᾰ (opsódeiă)
* πολῠδεής (polŭdeḗs)
* προσδέω (prosdéō)
* σῑτοδείᾱ (sītodeíā)
* σῠνδέομαι (sŭndéomai)
* ὑποδεέστερος (hupodeésteros)

##### Related terms

* δέημᾰ (déēmă)
* δεησῐ́δῐον (deēsĭ́dĭon)
* δέησῐς (déēsĭs)
* δεητέον (deētéon)
* δεητῐκός (deētĭkós)
* δεῖ (deî)

##### Descendants

* → Greek: δέω (déo) (learned)

#### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “δέω 2”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 322

#### Further reading

* “δέω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “δέω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “δέω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* δέω 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
* δέω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* δέω in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
* “δέω”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
* G1163 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
* δέω 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
* δέω, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

### Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

δέω • (déō)
* Alternative form of δήω (dḗō)

## Greek
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek δέω (déō, “to need”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈðe.o/
* Hyphenation: δέ‧ω

### Verb

δέω • (déo) (past εδέησα/δέησα, passive δέομαι)
* (active voice, only in perfective stem) to make possible (dated, also used ironically) e.g.
    εδέησα (edéisa, past tense, retaining the old syllabic augment ε-)
    Εδέησε να μου επιστρέψει το βιβλίο που του είχα δανείσει.Edéise na mou epistrépsei to vivlío pou tou eícha daneísei.S/he finally (succeeded to) return the book I had lent him/her.
** (third person, impersonal) [with να (na)]
    Μετά την ξηρασία, εδέησε να βρέξει.Metá tin xirasía, edéise na vréxei.After the drought, it finally rained.
    Also see the ancient uncontracted δει (dei, “it is needed”)
* (middle voice) See δέομαι (déomai, “pray to God”).

#### Related terms

* δέηση f (déisi, “prayer”)
* δει (dei, “it is needed, it must”), δεῖ
* δεόμενος (deómenos, partitiple), fem. δεόμενη/δεομένη, neu. δεόμενο
* δεόντως (deóntos, adverb)
* δέων (déon, partitiple), fem. δέουσα, neu. δέον
Compounds (and see their related words)
* ανασυνδέω (anasyndéo, “reconnect”)
* αποσυνδέω (aposyndéo, “disconnect”)
* διασυνδέω (diasyndéo, “interconnect”)
* επανασυνδέω (epanasyndéo, “reconnect again”)
* συνδέω (syndéo, “connect”)
and
* ενδεής (endeḯs, “poor, needing”)
* δεοντολογία f (deontología, “code of ethics”)
Also see related words of δένω (déno) deriving from the second sense of δέω.

### See also

* the unrelated δέος n (déos, “awe”)