αἰτία (aitia)

Where it lives

For Callias 2 · 71.94/10k
De longitudine et brevitate vitae 6 · 34.07/10k
De Divinatione per Somnum 4 · 33.36/10k
On A Wound By Premeditation 3 · 31.71/10k
De Somno et Vigilia 9 · 30.27/10k
De Respiratione 18 · 29.63/10k
Against The Corn-Dealers 3 · 26.71/10k
Defense in the Matter of the Olive Stump 5 · 24.69/10k
Letter 2 3 · 23.51/10k
For The Soldier 2 · 23.07/10k
Letter 6 2 · 22.52/10k
Against Theomnestus 1 3 · 20.13/10k

Densest 12 of 175 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

1. Αἰτία · Aitia — Chantraine

Αἰτία {ou αἴτιος) a fourni en outre quelques dérivés nominaux : αἰτιώδης «

2. Αἰτία · Aitia — Chantraine

Αἰτία, etc., subsistent en grec moderne. Ei.: Du thème Ἑαΐτος attesté dans ἕξαιτος, de αἴνυμαι «prendre », οἵ, aussi αἶσα, ont été tirés d'une part αἰτέω vouloir prendre, réclamer sa part», d'autre part αἴτιος «qui a part à », d’où « responsable » et le développement juridique et philosophique de αἰτία «cause» et «accusation » {on cite un développement juridique assez différent dans av. aëta « faute, punition »). Le … — [Chantraine, s.v. Αἰτία, p. 55]

3. αἰτί-α · aiti-a — LSJ

responsibility, guilt, blame, accusation, responsibility for, to be accused, of, by, a charge, guilty, the fault, guilt

responsibility, mostly in bad sense, guilt, blame, or the imputation thereof, i.e. accusation, first in Pi. O. 1.35 and Hdt., v. infr. (Hom. uses αἴτιος):—Phrases: αἰτίαν ἔχειν bear responsibility for, τινός A. Eu. 579, S. Ant. 1312; but usu. to be accused, τινός of a crime, φόνου Hdt. 5.70: c. inf., Ar. V. 506; foll. by ὡς . . , Pl. Ap. 38c; by ὡς c. part., Id. Phdr. 249d; ὑπό τινος by some one, A. Eu. 99, Pl. R. 565b: reversely, αἰτία ἔχει τινά Hdt. 5.70, 71; αἰ. φεύγειν τινός S. Ph. 1404; ἐν

2 invective

in forensic oratory, invective without proof (opp. ἔλεγχος), D. 22.23, cf. 18.15.

3 the credit, are reputed, are reputed, reputation

in good sense, εἰ . . εὖ πράξαιμεν, αἰτία θεοῦ the credit is his, A. Th. 4; διʼ ὅντινα αἰτίαν ἔχουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι βελτίους γεγονέναι are reputed to have become better, Pl. Grg. 503b, cf. Alc. 1.119a, Arist. Metaph. 984b19; ὧν . . πέρι αἰτίαν ἔχεις διαφέρειν in which you are reputed to excel, Pl. Tht. 169a; οἳ . . ἔχουσι ταύτην τὴν αἰ. who have this reputation, Id. R. 435e, cf. And. 2.12; αἰτίαν λαμβάνειν Pl. Lg. 624a.

4 expostulation

expostulation, μὴ ἐπʼ ἔχθρᾳ τὸ πλέον ἢ αἰτίᾳ Th. 1.69.

II cause, for the sake of, cause, accusation

cause, διʼ ἣν αἰτίην ἐπολέμησαν Hdt. Prooem., cf. Democr. 83, Pl. Ti. 68e, Phd. 97a sq., etc.; on the four causes of Arist. v. Ph. 194b16, Metaph. 983a26:—αἰ. τοῦ γενέσθαι or γεγονέναι Pl. Phd. 97a; τοῦ μεγίστου ἀγαθοῦ τῇ πόλει αἰτία ἡ κοινωνία Id. R. 464b:—dat. αἰτίᾳ for the sake of, κοινοῦ τινος ἀγαθοῦ Th. 4.87, cf. D.H. 8.29:—αἴτιον (cf. αἴτιος II.2) is used like αἰτία in the sense of cause, not in that of accusation.

III occasion, motive, a theme

occasion, motive, αἰτίαν ῥοαῖσι Μοισᾶν ἐνέβαλε gave them a theme for song, Pi. N. 7.11; αἰτίαν παρέχειν Luc. Tyr. 13.

IV head, category

head, category under which a thing comes, D. 23.75.

V case in dispute

case in dispute, ἡ αἰ. τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός Ev.Matt. 19.10.

In the wild

αἰτίας · aitias Aeschylus, Eumenides 434
αἰτίαν · aitian Aeschylus, Eumenides 579
αἰτίαν · aitian Aeschylus, Eumenides 98–99
αἰτίας · aitias Aeschylus, Libation Bearers 1029–1032
αἰτία · aitia Aeschylus, Persians 879–897
αἰτίαν · aitian Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 228–229

6 of 1,224 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque Treated in Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque s.v. αἰτία (scan p. 55; entry #258).

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