LOGOI

The corpus record

δεσπόζω

despozo

to be lord

Generated live from the audited corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.

Where it lives

Densest 12 of 25 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

δεσπόζω · despozō — LSJ

1 to be lord, master, gain the mastery, to be the legal proprietor

abs., to be lord or master, gain the mastery, πρὸς βίαν δ. A. Pr. 210; ἄρχειν καὶ δ. Pl. Phd. 80a, al.: as law-term, to be the legal proprietor, opp. κρατεῖν, PTheb.Bank 1.15, cf. BGU 1187.9 (i B. C.), PLond. 3.977.32 (iv A. D.).

b to be dominant

Astrol., of planets, to be dominant in a nativity, Vett.Val.72.5.

2 to be lord, master of, own, make oneself master of

c. gen., to be lord or master of, h.Cer. 365, Hdt. 3.142, etc.; Ζηνὸς (or Διὸς) δεσπόσαι A. Pr. 930; δεσπόζοντʼ ἐμοῦ E. Supp. 518; δ. τινός, opp. δουλεύειν ἄλλῳ, Pl. R. 576a; δεσπόζειν φόβης own it, A. Ch. 188; make oneself master of, λέκτροις ὧν ἐδέσποζον E. Andr. 928: metaph., τοῦδε δ. λόγου A. Ag. 543.

3 lord it over

c. acc., lord it over, δ. πόλιν E. HF 28:—Pass., δεσπόζονται Hp. Aër. 16; δεσποζόμεναι πόλεις Pl. Lg. 712e; δ. ὑπό τινος D.S. 18.60; πρός τινος Ph. 1.337.

In the wild

6 of 55 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

No etymology authority pointer is recorded for this lemma yet — an honest gap, not an omission. The etymological dictionaries (Beekes, Chantraine, Frisk) are matched incrementally.

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