# Alex



## anthodocheio

Hello to everybody here!

I have a question of which I suppose I could find the answer in an etymological dictionary easily.. but I don’t have one at home, and also I would love this to be here, share it with all of you. 

Τhis prefix “άλεξ” appears at many words like αλεξίσφαιρο, αλεξικέραυνο, αλεξίπτωτο and of course in the name Αλέξανδρος. 
So here is the question; what exactly does it mean? Is it something that protects from something else? Alexandros protects you from man, αλεξίσφαιρο from σφαίρες, αλεξίπτωτο from πτώσεις and so on..? Is that correct?

So Alex alone what does it mean? And what about the name Alexios?

I will appreciate any contribution...



Dedicated to those named Alex...


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## modus.irrealis

Τριανταφυλλίδης has some information under αλεξι- and basically traces it back to a root that appears most clearly in the verb αλεξω meaning "ward off, defend."

But it seems that in compounds, _alex(i)-_ can mean either "protecting from" or "protecting", and _alexandros_, according to my dictionary, means "protecting men" rather than "protecting from men."


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## Tetina

> But it seems that in compounds, _alex(i)-_ can mean either "protecting from" or "protecting", and _alexandros_, according to my dictionary, means "protecting men" rather than "protecting from men."


[/quote]

Hi modus, 
I agree in everything except _alexandros. _In all my years in school and university it was referred that _alexandors_ means _somebody who is protecting from men = __fights back the men in battle_ = _the good warrior._
It's strange that your dictionary has different meaning!


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## modus.irrealis

Hi Tetina. To be honest, I was wondering how they decided it meant "defending men" and not "defending from men" since both make sense, and with most of these αλεξ-compounds it's usually "defending from." So if I were to guess, I'd probably agree with you about it being "defending from men," although I guess either way you can get the "warrior" meaning. I don't know.


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## ireney

My dictionary has the "protecting from" meaning for _Alexandros_ but I have to agree with modus. Both are equally possible and both have the same meaning. I mean when you defend from men well, it only makes sense that you are defening men right? And when you defend men you're surely not expected to defend them from e.g. random thunderbolts . Maybe we should go with the "Defending men from men" 

Oh and Alexios is a later era shortened form of Alexandros.


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## anthodocheio

ireney said:


> Oh and Alexios is a later era shortened form of Alexandros.


 

Oh, thank you Rena! Is it just that? Because is a different name, right? mmm...


and..
Thank you all for answering!!!

See you


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## ireney

anthodocheio the fact that it has become a different name is due to the fact that someone called Alexios who maybe even chose to be baptised/christened with this form of the name became an άγιος or όσιος I suppose .

Etymologically speaking though it is just short for Alexandros.


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## Paciente

hello everybody... 

Thank you Anthodoheio for opening a post on the etymology of my name... That is Αλέξης, from Αλέξιος... (Αγιος Αλέξιος, ο άνθρωπος του θεού...)

I also know that Alexi comes from the ancient greek verb αλέξειν, that means προφυλάσσω, protect, ward off... Even if I heard other times the meaning "repel, reject" I think the first one is correct...

See you !

Alex


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## anthodocheio

Thank YOU, Alex..

Wow! Thanks again!


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## Paciente

I had a doubt on this so I looked in some dictionnaries and the definition is not the always the same...

The first signification of αλεξι- (derivated from the first) would be : απωθώ, αποκρούω, "push back, reject", and that's why Alex-ander the Great was named like this : A powerful warrior that would fight back and drive away his ennemies... (suitable for in the context of the Macedonian wars...)

Then the second signification would be derivated from the first meaning : by pushing back the danger, you get protected from it,...

That's why I guess some dictionnaries have different definitions, like εμποδίζω (prevent something to happen) and there is a small confusion


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## albandy_1234

alexandros is composed from two words from ancient greek.

first the verb alexw(αλέξω) which means "send away" or "chase"

second the word anir(ανηρ) which means "a man" , "the male"

so alexandros is the one who is "sending away the men"... it is from history when alexander the great was chasing men at his wars!!


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## ireney

Hello albandy and welcome to the forums. As you will notice most etymological dictionaries say that alexw means "protect from". 

I would also like to add that, though he was aptly named, it wasn't because of what he did that he got his name since it was given to him at birth and others before him, without his unique, historic life were named so (After all he was Alexander the Third  )


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