λαός

English (LSJ)

ὁ, Ion. ληός Hippon.88, Hdt.5.42 (

   A v.l. λαόν, which is in all Mss. in 4.148), cj. in Mimn.14.9; Att. λεώς, which is also used in Hdt.1.22, 8.136, while the form λαός is sts. used in Trag., and once or twice even in Com. (v. infr. 1.3): also in Inscrr. and Pap. (v. infr.) and in late Prose, as Foed.Byz. ap. Plb.4.52.7 (pl.), Str.14.4.3 (pl.), Plu.2.1096b, etc. (both forms in pr. nn., Λεωβώτης Hdt.7.204, Λαβώτας X.HG1.2.18, etc.).    1 in Il., λαός (λαοί) usu. means men, i.e. soldiers, both of the whole army and smaller divisions, κριτὸς ἔγρετο λ. Ἀχαιῶν 7.434; λαὸν ἀγείρειν 16.129; πολὺν ὤλεσα λαόν 2.115: pl., ἅμα τῷ γε . . ἄριστοι λ. ἕποντ' ib.578; στίχες ἀσπιστάων λ. 4.91; periphr., στρατὸς λαῶν ib.76; λαῶν ἔθνος 13.495; mostly including both foot and horse, as 2.809; but sts. λαός denotes foot, as opp. horse, 7.342; also, a land army, opp. a fleet, 4.76, 9.424, 10.14; also, the common men, opp. their leaders, 2.365, 13.108; but    2 in Od., λαοί, more rarely λαός, almost always means men or people; as subjects of a prince, e.g. 3.214, 305, al. (λαοί is sts. so used in Il., e.g. 17.226, 24.611; λαοὶ ἀγροιῶται country-folk, 11.676; work-people, 17.390); of sailors, Od.14.248; so after Hom., ναυτικὸς λεώς seafaring folk, A.Pers.383; πᾶς ὁ χειρῶναξ λεώς S.Fr.844; ὁ γεωργικὸς λεώς Ar.Pax920 (lyr.): in sg., slave, τὸν Εὐρυσθέως λεών, of Heracles, Hecat.23 J.; and so perh. λεὼς αὔτοικος GDI5533e (Zeleia): more generally, μέροπες λαοί, i.e. mankind, A.Supp.90 (lyr.); λ. ἐγχώριοι the natives, ib. 517, cf. Od.6.194; esp. in Egypt, of the fellahin, PRev.Laws42.11-16 (iii B. C.), PSI4.380.5 (iii B. C.), etc.; civil population, opp. priests and soldiers, OGI90.12 (Rosetta, ii B. C.), cf. 225.8 (Milet., iii B. C.), al.    3 people assembled, as in the theatre, ὁ πολὺς λαῶν ὄχλος Ar.Ra.676, cf. 219 (both lyr.); esp. in the Ecclesia, αἱ στίχες τῶν λαῶν Id.Eq.163: hence the phrase ἀκούετε λεῴ hear O people!—the usual way of beginning proclamations at Athens, like our Oyez! Sus.1.1, Ar.Pax551, Av.448; τιμῶσιν οἱ πάντες λεῴ ib. 1275; δεῦρ' ἴτε, πάντες λεῴ Arist.Fr.384; Ἀττικὸς λεώς A.Eu.681; ὁ πολὺς λεώς the multitude, Pl.R.458d, etc.    4 in LXX, of the people, as opp. priests and Levites, 1 Es.5.46; in NT, of Jews, opp. Gentiles, Ev.Matt.2.6, Ev.Luc.2.10, al., cf. SIG1247 (Jewish tombstones); of Christians, opp. heathen, Act.Ap.15.14, al.    II a people, i.e. all who are called by one name, first in Pi., Δωριεῖ λαῷ O.8.30; Λυδῶν δὲ λαὸς καὶ Φρυγῶν A.Pers.770; ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαός S.Ph.1243, cf. OT144, etc.; ἱππόται λαοί, i.e. the Thessalians, Pi. P.4.153, cf. 9.54, N.1.17. (The resemblance between λαός people and λᾶος stone (cf. λᾶας) is implied in Il.24.611 λαοὺς δὲ λίθους ποίησε Κρονίων (in the story of Niobe); and so Pi. explains the word from the legend of Deucalion, O.9.46, cf. Epich.122, Apollod.1.7.2; but cf. Philoch.12.) (From λᾱϝ-, as shown by the pr.names Λαϝοπτόλεμος GDI3151, ϝιόλαϝος ib.3132 (Corinth): hence prob. λήϊτον.)

Greek (Liddell-Scott)

λᾱός: -οῦ, ὁ, Ἰων. ληός, Ἱππῶναξ, 88, Ἡρόδ. 5. 42· Ἀττ. λεώς, ὅπερ εἶναι ἐν χρήσει καὶ παρ’ Ἡροδ. 1. 22., 8. 136, ἐνῷ παρὰ Τραγ. εἶναι ἐνίοτε ἐν χρήσει ὁ τύπος λαὸς χάριν τοῦ μέτρου, καὶ ἅπαξ ἢ δὶς καὶ παρὰ κωμ.· ὡσαύτως ἐν μεταγεν. πεζῷ λόγῳ, ὡς ἐν Συνθήκ. Βυζ. παρὰ Πολυβ. 4. 52, 7, Πλουτ., κτλ.· (ὁ διπλοῦς τύπος φαίνεται ἐνίοτε εἰς πολλὰ κύρια ὀνόματα, Λεωβότης Ἡρόδ. 7. 204, Λαβώτας Ξεν. Ἑλλ. 1. 2, 18, κτλ.· οὕτω, Λεώκριτος, Λάκριτος· Λεωχάρης, Λαχάρης· Λεωσθένης, Λασθένης, κτλ.· ἴδε ἐν τέλ.) Ὁ λαὸς καθόλου· παρ’ Ὁμ. καὶ Ἡσιόδ. οὐδέποτε ὡς σῶμα πολιτικὸν ὅπως τὸ δῆμος, ἀλλ’ ἁπλῶς ὡς ἄθροισμα ἀνθρώπων κατ’ ἀντίθεσιν ὅμως πρὸς τὸ ὅμαδος, ὅπερ εἶναι ἁπλῶς ὄχλος, Ἰλ. Η. 306 κἑξ.· ― ἐντεῦθεν, 1) ἐν τῇ πολεμικῇ γλώσσῃ, τῆς Ἰλ. τὸ λαὸς σημαίνει ἄνδρας, δηλ. στρατιώτας (ὡς τὸ στρατός), ἐπί τε τοῦ ὅλου στρατοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ μικροτέρων διαιρέσεων, κριτὸς ἔγρετο λ. Ἀχαιῶν Ἰλ. Η. 434· λαὸν ἀγείρειν ΙΙ. 129· πολὺν ὤλεσα λαὸν Β. 115· οὕτως ἐν τῷ πληθ., ἅμα τῷ γε... ἄριστοι λαοὶ ἕποντ’ Β. 578· στίχες ἀσπιστάων λαῶν Δ. 91· περιφρ., στρατὸς λαῶν αὐτόθ. 76· ἔθνος λαῶν Ν. 495· περιλαμβάνων ὡς τὰ πολλὰ πεζούς τε καὶ ἱππεῖς, ὡς Β. 809· ἀλλ’ ἐνίοτε τὸ λαὸς δηλοῖ τοὺς πεζοὺς κατ’ ἀντίθεσιν πρὸς τοὺς ἱππέας, Η. 342· ὡσαύτως δύναμις κατὰ ξηράν, ἐν ἀντιθέσει πρὸς τὸν στόλον ἐν θαλάσσῃ, Δ. 76., Ι. 424., Κ. 14· ὡσαύτως οἱ κοινοὶ στρατιῶται ἐν ἀντιθέσει πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχηγοὺς αὐτῶν, Β. 365., Ν. 108· ― ἀλλὰ 2) ἐν τῇ εἰρηνικῇ Ὀδυσσείᾳ λαοὶ καὶ σπανιώτερον λαός, σχεδὸν ἀείποτε σημαίνει ἄνθρωποι τοῦ λαοῦ, ὁ λαός, ὡς ὑπήκοοι τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἢ βασιλέως, π.χ. Γ. 214, 304 κ. ἀλλ.· ― μάλιστα ἐνίοτε τὸ λαοὶ κεῖται ἐπὶ τοιαύτης ἐννοίας καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἰλ., π.χ. Ρ. 226., Ω.611· λαοὶ ἀγροιῶται, ἀγρόται, χωρικοί, Λ. 676· ἐργατικοὶ ἄνθρωποι, Ρ. 390· ἐπὶ ναυτῶν, Ὀδ. Ζ. 248· οὕτω καὶ μεθ’ Ὅμηρ., ναυτικὸς λεὼς Αἰσχύλ. Πέρσ. 383· πᾶς ὁ χειρῶναξ λεὼς Σοφ. Ἀποσπ. 724· ὁ γεωργικὸς λεὼς Ἀριστοφ. Εἰρ. 920· ὡσαύτως, μέροπες λαοί, ὅ ἐ. τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος, Αἰσχύλ. Ἱκέτ. 89· λ. ἐγχώριοι, οἱ ἐγχώριοι, ἄνθρωποι τοῦ τόπου, ἐπιτόπιοι, αὐτόθι 517, πρβλ. Ὀδ. Ζ. 194. 3)ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων συνηθροισμένων, οἷον ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ, ὁ πολὺς λαῶν ὄχλος Ἀριστοφ. Βάτρ. 676, πρβλ. 219· ἀλλὰ κυρίως ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, αἱ στίχες τῶν λαῶν ὁ αὐτ. ἐν Ἱππ. 163· ἐντεῦθεν ἡ φράσις ἀκούετε λεῴ, ἄκουσον, ὦ λαέ! ― ὁ συνήθης τρόπος καθ’ ὃν ἤρχιζον τὰς προκηρύξεις ἐν Ἀθήναις, πρβλ. τὸ Ἀγγλικὸν Oyez! Σουσαρίων 1, Ἀριστοφ. Εἰρ. 551, Ὄρν. 448· δεῡρ’ ἴτε, πάντες λεῲ Ἀριστ. Ἀποσπ. 346, πρβλ. Βεντλεΰου Φάλαριν σ. 203· ― ὁ πολὺς λεώς, τὸ πλῆθος, ὁ ὄχλος, Πλάτ. Πολ. 458D, κτλ. 4) παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδ., ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν ἀντιθέσει πρὸς τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ λευίτας, Α΄ Ἔσδρ. Ε΄, 46· ἐν τῇ Καινῇ Διαθ., ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ μετέπειτα ἐπὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐν ἀντιθέσει πρὸς τοὺς ἐθνικούς· παρὰ τοῖς Ἐκκλ., οἱ λαϊκοί, ἐν ἀντιθέσει πρὸς τοὺς κληρικοὺς ἢ ἱερωμένους (κλῆρος). ΙΙ. λαὸς ἢ φυλή, πάντες οἱ καλούμενοι διὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὀνόματος, πρῶτον παρὰ Πινδ., Δωριεῖ λαῷ Ο. 8. 40· Λυδῶν τε λαὸς καὶ Φρυγῶν Αἰσχύλ. Πέρσ. 770· ξύμπας Ἀχαιῶν λαὸς Σοφ. Φιλ. 1243, πρβλ. Ο. Τ. 144, κτλ.· ἱππόται λαοί, δηλ. οἱ Θεσσαλοί, Πινδ. Π. 4. 273, πρβλ. 9. 93, Ν. 1. 25. (Ἡ ὁμοιότης ἡ μεταξὺ τῶν λέξεων λαὸς καὶ λᾶας (λίθος) ὑπονοεῖται ἐν Ἰλ. Ω. 611 λαοὺς δὲ λίθους ποίησε Κρονίων (ἐπὶ τῶν τέκνων τῆς Νιόβης)· καὶ οὕτως ὁ Πίνδ. ἑρμηνεύει τὴν λέξιν ἐκ τοῦ μύθου τοῦ Δευκαλίωνος, Ο. 9. 66 κ. ἑξ.· πρβλ. Ἐπίχ. παρὰ τῷ Σχολ. ἐν τόπῳ, Ἀπολλόδ. 1. 7, 3· ἄλλως Φιλόχ. 120. ― Ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ῥίζης παράγονται αἱ λέξ. λάϊτος, λήιτος, λειτουργία· ― ὁ δὲ ἀρχικὸς τύπος ὅτι ἦτο ΛΑϜ, ὡς φαίνεται ἐκ τῶν κυρ. ὀνομάτων Λευτυχίδης (Λεωτυχίδης), Λαυαγήτας (Συλλ. Ἐπιγρ. 1466), Λαϝ-οκόϝων (Ἐπιγραφ. παρὰ Prisc. 1. 22., 6. 69)· πρβλ. Γοτθ. jagga-lauths (νεανίσκος)· (Ἀγγλο-Σαξον. lewed, lœwd (λαϊκός, ἀμαθής)· Ἀρχ. Γερμ. liut (leute)· Σλαυ. ljudu· Λιθ. laudis.)

French (Bailly abrégé)

οῦ (ὁ) :
ion. att. λεώς;
I. peuple, en tant que réunion d’hommes, foule, masse ; p. suite :
1 foule des guerriers, armée (chefs et soldats);
2 foule du peuple ; particul. paysans, artisans, marins ; en gén. λαοὶ ἐγχώριοι ESCHL les nationaux, les habitants du pays ; μέροπες λαοί ESCHL les mortels;
3 foule en gén. ; d’où la formule ἀκούετε, λεῴ AR écoutez, vous tous;
II. peuple, en tant que nation : Λυδῶν τε λαὸς καὶ Φρυγῶν ESCHL le peuple lydien et phrygien ; Ἀχαιῶν λαός IL le peuple achéen, càd grec.
Étymologie: DELG vieux mot *λαϜος à sens collectif, cf. all. Leute.

English (Slater)

λᾱός (-ῷ, -όν; -οί, -ῶν, -οῖς（ι).)
   1 people, folk Δωριεῖ λαῷ (O. 8.30) κτισσάσθαν λίθινον γόνον (sc. Πύρρα καὶ Δευκαλίων). λαοὶ δ' ὀνύμασθεν (O. 9.46) πόλιν δ' ὤπασεν λαόν τε διαιτᾶν (O. 9.66) τόνδε λαὸν ἀβλαβῆ νέμων (O. 13.27) “ἱππόταις εὔθυνε λαοῖς δίκας” (P. 4.153) “ἀφίξεται λαῷ σὺν ἀβλαβεῖ Ἄβαντος εὐρυχόρους ἀγυιάς” (sc. Ἄδραστος: i. e. with the army he led against Thebes) (P. 8.54) “ἐπὶ λαὸν ἀγείραις νασιώταν ὄχθον ἐς ἀμφίπεδον” (P. 9.54) Περσεὺς Σερίφῳ λαοῖσί τε μοῖραν ἄγων (P. 12.12) ὤπασε δὲ Κρονίων πολέμου μναστῆρά οἱ χαλκεντέος λαὸν ἵππαιχμον (N. 1.17) ἀγλαίαισιν δ' ἀστυνόμοις ἐπιμεῖξαι λαόν (N. 9.32) καρπὸς ἐλαίας ἔμολεν Ἥρας τὸν εὐάνορα λαόν i. e. to Argos (N. 10.36) “Αἴαντα, λαῶν ἐν πόνοις ἔκπαγλον Ἐνυαλίου” the peoples of the Warlord = armies (I. 6.53) καλῶν μὲν ὦν μοῖράν τε τερπνῶν ἐς μέσον χρὴ παντὶ λαῷ δεικνύναι fr. 42. 4. τὰν δὲ λαῶν γενεὰν δαρὸν ἐρέπτοι (Pae. 1.9) σέθ]εν Ἰάονι τόνδε λαῷ [παι]ᾶνα [δι]ώξω people of Abdera Πα. 2. 3. λ]αὸν ἀστῶν (Pae. 2.48) ]λαὸν[ (Pae. 6.179) ]λαῶν ξενοδαίκτα βασιλῆος i. e. of Laomedon fr. 140a. 56 (30). dub., [λαοὺς ἐλάσαντες] (supp. von Arnim) (Pae. 2.62)

English (Abbott-Smith)

λαός, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX very freq. for עַם, Ge 14:16, al.; occasionally for לְאֹם ( Ge 25:23, al.), etc.;]
a word rarely found in Att. prose;
1.the people at large (Hom., al.), esp. of people assembled: Mt 27:25, Lk 1:21 3:15 al.; pl. (Hom., al., π.; v. MM, xvi), Ac 4:27.
2.a people, those of the same race and language (Pind., Æsch., al.: in LXX, Ge 26:11, Ex 9:16, al.): joined with γλῶσσα, φυλή, ἔθνος, Re 5:9 7:9 11:9, al.; pl., Lk 2:31, Ro 15:11; esp. as almost always in LXX, of Israel, Mt 4:23, Mk 7:6, Lk 2:10, Jo 11:50, He 2:17, al.; opp. to τ. ἔθνη, Ac 26:17, 23 Ro 15:10; πρεσβύτεροι (πρῶτοι, etc.) τοῦ λ., Mt 21:23, Lk 19:17, Ac 4:8, al.; ὁ λ. μου (αὐτοῦ, τ. θεοῦ), Mt 2:6, Lk 1:68, He 11:25, al.; of the people disting. from the rulers and priests ( I Es 1:10, Jth 8:9, al.), Mt 26:5, Lk 20:19, He 5:3,al.; of Christians, as the people of God, Ac 15:14, Ro 9:25, 26 He 4:9; περιούσιος, Tit 2:14; εἰς περιποίησιν, I Pe 2:9 (LXX). SYN.: v.s. δῆμος.

English (Strong)

apparently a primary word; a people (in general; thus differing from δῆμος, which denotes one's own populace): people.

English (Thayer)

λαοῦ, ὁ (cf. Curtius, § 535)); the Sept. more than fifteen hundred times for עַם; rarely for גּוי and לְאֹם; (from Homer down); people;
1. a people, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language: universally, of any people; joined with γλῶσσα, φυλή, ἔθνος, omits); γλῶσσα, 2); πάντες οἱ λαοί. 2:31; ἔθνος); Ἰσραήλ added, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, λαοί Ἰσραήλ (R. V. the peoples of Isa.) seems to be used of the tribes of the people (like עַמִּים, οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ, οἱ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ, οἱ πρῶτοι τοῦ λαοῦ, τό πρεσβυτέριον τοῦ λαοῦ, ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ, τοῦ Θεοῦ, αὐτοῦ, μου (i. e. τοῦ Θεοῦ, Hebrew יְהוָה עַם, הָאֱלֹהִים עַם), the people whom God has chosen for himself, selected as peculiarly his own: Winer's Grammar, § 19,1; the name is transferred to the community of Christians, as that which by the blessing of Christ has come to take the place of the theocratic people of Israel, εἰς περιποίησιν added, περιούσιος, ὁ λαός the people (of Israel) is distinguished from its princes and rulers (1Esdr. 1:10 1Esdr. 5:45; WH Tr marginal reading read ὄχλος); of a great part of the population gathered together anywhere: τό πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ, δῆμος, at the end)