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μολὼν λαβέ: Difference between revisions
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|wketx=The phrase molon labe (Ancient Greek μολών λαβέ molṑn labé; reconstructed Ancient Greek pronunciation [molɔːn labé]; Modern Greek pronunciation [moˈlon laˈve]) means "Come and take". It is a classical expression of defiance reportedly spoken by King Leonidas I in response to the Persian army's demand that the Spartans surrender their weapons at the Battle of Thermopylae. It is an exemplary use of a laconic phrase. | |||
The first word, ''μολών'', is the aorist active participle (masculine, nominative, singular) of the Greek verb ''βλώσκω'' "to come", meaning "having come". The Root is evidently ΜΟΛ, so that βλώ-σκ-ω is apparently a contraction for μολώ-σκ-ω (the suffix -σκ, being a common specialized present stem inchoative suffix). The form ''λαβέ'' is the aorist active imperative (second person singular) of the verb [[λαμβάνω]], translated as "you take" with an emphasis since it is in the imperative form. That is to say, it is better represented in English as, "Take!" (with ''you singular'' understood, "you take"). | |||
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