ΑΛΛΟΤΡΙΩΣΙΣ

Definition

According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, ἀλλοτρίωσις originally signifies "transfer of property, cession" (e.g., of land or rights), as well as "alienation, estrangement" in a more general sense. The word derives from the verb ἀλλοτριόω, meaning "to make something belong to another" or "to alienate." Its root lies in ἄλλος, denoting "other" or "different."

In classical Greek literature, ἀλλοτρίωσις is used to describe the loss of control or ownership over something, whether tangible or intangible. Aristotle, for instance, refers to the ἀλλοτρίωσις of property, while Polybius employs it for the "alienation of affections" or the "loss of favor." It does not yet carry the heavy philosophical burden it would later acquire.

The meaning of the word expanded significantly during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, encompassing estrangement from friends, relatives, or even from oneself. In Christian discourse, although the noun is rare, the verb ἀπαλλοτριόω (to completely alienate) is used to describe spiritual estrangement from God or the community of believers, implying a state of spiritual alienation.

In modern philosophy, particularly from Hegel and Marx onwards, ἀλλοτρίωσις (as "alienation") gained central importance, describing the condition where an individual feels foreign to their labor, its products, their fellow human beings, and even their own human nature. This evolution highlights the ancient Greek root's capacity to express complex existential states.

Main Meanings

1. Transfer of property, cession — The primary and most literal meaning, referring to the change of ownership of a good or right.
2. Alienation, estrangement — The general sense of moving away from someone or something, whether emotionally or socially.
3. Alteration, change — The state of something becoming different from what it was, a change in essence or nature.
4. Hostility, disfavor — Alienation leading to hostile dispositions or loss of goodwill.
5. Loss of control — The condition where an individual or entity loses control over something that belonged to them.
6. Philosophical alienation (modern usage) — The state where an individual feels foreign to their labor, society, or their own existence (primarily from the 19th century onwards).

Word Family

allo- (from ἄλλος, meaning "other, different")

The root allo- derives from the ancient Greek word ἄλλος, meaning "other" or "different." This fundamental concept of otherness forms the core of an extensive family of words describing change, displacement, the quality of belonging to another, or detachment from an original state. From the simple declaration of difference, this root develops concepts related to ownership, origin, behavior, and ultimately psychological or philosophical alienation. Each member of the family illuminates a different facet of this basic notion of "otherness."

In Ancient Texts

Three characteristic passages highlight the different uses of ἀλλοτρίωσις in ancient literature.

The 18 Methods

Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΑΛΛΟΤΡΙΩΣΙΣ:

Sources & Bibliography

• Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940.
• Aristotle — Rhetoric.
• Polybius — Histories.
• Plutarch — Moralia.
• Bauer, W., Arndt, W. F., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W. — A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
• Hegel, G. W. F. — Phenomenology of Spirit.
• Marx, K. — Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844.