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The corpus record

μεταβάλλω

metaballo

throw into a different position, turn quickly

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 93 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.

What it meant

μεταβάλλω · metaballō — LSJ

throw into a different position, turn quickly, suddenly, turn, plough, change the course of

throw into a different position, turn quickly or suddenly, Hom. only once, in tmesi, μετὰ νῶτα βαλών Il. 8.94; χαλεπῶς μ. δέμας E. Hipp. 204 (anap.), cf. Gal. 15.556; μ. θοἰμάτιον ἐπιδεξιά Ar. l.c.; μ. γῆν turn, i.e. plough, the earth, X. Oec. 16.14; μετέβαλε Κύριος ἄνεμον ἐκ θαλάσσης LXX Ex. 10.19; μ. ποταμόν change the course of a river, Jul. Or. 3.126d.

II turn about, change, alter, change, drink different, lose, change and adopt

turn about, change, alter, τὸ οὔνομα Hdt. 1.57; τὴν πολιτείαν Arist. Pol. 1292b21; [οἱ Βρίγες] τὸ οὔνομα μετέβαλον [ἐς Φρύγας] Hdt. 7.73; τὰς φυλὰς μετέβαλε [ὁ Κλεισθένης] ἐς ἄλλα οὐνόματα Id. 5.68; μ. μορφήν τινος εἰς ἀνδρὸς φύσιν E. Ba. 54; [τινὰ] ἐπὶ κακόν Ar. Th. 723; ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον Pl. R. 381b; μ. δίαιταν change oneʼs way of life, Th. 2.16; μ. ὕδατα drink different water, Hdt. 8.117; ὀργὰς μ. E. Med. 121 (anap.); μ. τοὺς τρόπους Ar. Pl. 36, Eup. 357.7; μ. τὸ ἔθος Th. 1.123; μ. εὔνοιαν lose

b translate

translate, νόμον εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνήν J. AJProoem. 3, cf. 12.2.13 (Pass.).

c stir

stir with a spoon, Dsc. 3.22 (Pass.).

III undergo a change, changes run, come in exchange for, instead of

intr., undergo a change, μ. ἐς εὐνομίην Hdt. 1.65, cf. Antipho 2.4.9; μ. εἰς ὀλιγαρχικὸν ἐκ τοῦ τιμοκρατικοῦ Pl. R. 553a, etc.; μ. ἐπὶ τοὐναντίον Id. Plt. 270d; ὅταν εἰς ἑτέραν -βάλῃ πολιτείαν ἡ πόλις Arist. Pol. 1276b14, cf. 1301a20: impers., μεταβάλλει διὰ πλειόνων ζῴων changes run through a series of creatures, Thphr. HP 2.4.4: c. gen. rei, come in exchange for or instead of, καιναὶ καινῶν μεταβάλλουσαι . . συντυχίαι E. Tr. 1118.

b vary

vary, μεταβάλλειν τὰς ἐπιστήμας τοῖς τόποις Phld. Rh. 2.115 S.

2 change oneʼs course, turning, instead, in turn

change oneʼs course, μεταβαλὼν πρὸς Ἀθηναίους turning to the Athenians, Hdt. 8.109: aor. part. μεταβαλών abs., instead, in turn, μεταβαλόντας ἀντὶ Κρητῶν γενέσθαι Ἰήπυγας Id. 7.170, cf. E. Ion 1614, Pl. Smp. 204e, Grg. 480e: also pres. part. μεταβάλλων Id. Tht. 166d.

B turn round, shift

Med., turn round, shift a load, μεταβαλλόμενος τἀνάφορον Ar. Ra. 8; προβαλλομένους τὰ ὅπλα ἢ μεταβαλλομένους X. An. 6.5.16.

2 cause to be removed

cause to be removed, σῖτον PHib. 1.45.6 (iii B. C.), etc.

b order to be paid, remit

order to be paid, remit, POxy. 1153.8 (i A. D.), 1419.5 (iii A. D.).

II change what is oneʼs own, change oneʼs, changed her

change what is oneʼs own, μ. τὰ ἱμάτια change oneʼs clothes, X. Mem. 1.6.6; μ. τοὺς τρόπους Ar. V. 1461 (lyr.); μετεβάλλετʼ ὀπωπάν changed her appearance, Erinn. in PSI 9.1090.53 + 13 (p.xii).

2 exchange, for, have given up, in exchange for, barter, traffic in

exchange, τίς μεταβάλοιτʼ ἂν ὧδε σιγὰν λόγων; silence for words, S. El. 1261; [τὴν ἄσαρκον τροφὴν] ὑγείας καὶ ῥώμης μεταβαλέσθαι have given up asceticism in exchange for health and strength, Porph. Abst. 1.2; barter, traffic in, οἴνου μεταβαλλόμενος καὶ σίτου πρᾶσιν Pl. Lg. 849d; μ. τὰ ἀλλότρια ἔργα Id. Sph. 223d; μ. ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ X. Mem. 3.7.6, cf. D.S. 5.13.

III turn oneself, turn about

turn oneself, turn about, ἄνω καὶ κάτω Pl. Grg. 481e, Din. 1.17; esp.

2 change oneʼs purpose, mind, change sides

change oneʼs purpose or mind, Hdt. 5.75, SIG 22.20 (v B. C.), Act.Ap. 28.6, etc.; change sides, Th. 1.71, 8.90, X. HG 2.3.31; πρός τινα Axionic. 6.10.

3 turn, wheel round, turn about

turn or wheel round, μ. ἐπʼ ἀσπίδα X. Cyr. 7.5.6; τὸ δόρυ εἰς τοὔπισθεν μ. Id. Eq. 8.10: abs., turn about, μεταβαλλόμενος τοῖς ἔξω περιεστηκόσι λοιδορήσεται Aeschin. 3.207.

In the wild

6 of 517 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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