Asketes -askete, what does the latter mean

[Thisonequestion]

Hi! I hope it’s not inappropriate to ask this but: we’re starting a business that produces and sells art. Coming up with a name is always difficult. I decided to try ancient Greek words. I’ve really been a big fan of Greece since I read about the ancient mythology and visited Greece for the first time a few decades ago.

So, I typed “art” into one of the online dictionaries http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/definitionlookup?type=exact&q=art&target=greek. “Asketes” was one of the words that it came up with (one who practises any art). That sounds alright but for some reason I like “askete” even more. That is apparently a case of asketes (Plato: " askēte, askein met’ aretēs, eidotas hoti toutou leipomena panta kai).

But what case? Does it mean something else or is it just one of those cases that has only a “grammatical meaning”.

I like the idea that we are practitioners of art and that the word seems to refer to asceticism as well.

Thanks for answers!

[bedwere]

In that passage, askēte ἀσκῆτε is a form of the verb ἀσκέω (present active subjunctive, second person plural).
If you want the name of your business to be grammatically correct in ancient Greek, you could use askētai ἀσκηταί (that would be nominative plural, i.e. those who practice the art).

[Markos]

@Thisonequestion

we’re starting a business that produces and sells art. Coming up with a name is always difficult.

Since Ars Gratia Artis is already taken, how about τέχνη χάριν κέρδους?

[Thisonequestion]

@bedwere

In that passage, askēte ἀσκῆτε is a form of the verb ἀσκέω (present active subjunctive, second person plural).
If you want the name of your business to be grammatically correct in ancient Greek, you could use askētai ἀσκηταί (that would be nominative plural, i.e. those who practice the art).

Thanks! May I ask what would be first person plural or singular? Does asketi mean something (that looks even better than askete) or asketa?

And what about the correct pronunciation, does the transliteration try to make an English speaking person pronounce it right or are the letters representing their “actual” sounds (the way a Latin speaker would pronounce them)? I assume that “ē” means a long e (German “see”) and not a long i (English “see”) and that “k” and “t” don’t have that English h that is pronounced with hard consonants.

I like the idea that the name has style but also a story that inspires behind it.

Thanks again.

[bedwere]

@Thisonequestion

@bedwere

In that passage, askēte ἀσκῆτε is a form of the verb ἀσκέω (present active subjunctive, second person plural).
If you want the name of your business to be grammatically correct in ancient Greek, you could use ἀσκηταί (that would be nominative plural, i.e. those who practice the art).

Thanks! May I ask what would be first person plural or singular? Does asketi mean something (that looks even better than askete) or asketa?

And what about the correct pronunciation, does the transliteration try to make an English speaking person pronounce it right or are the letters representing their “actual” sounds (the way a Latin speaker would pronounce them)? I assume that “ē” means a long e (German “see”) and not a long i (English “see”) and that “k” and “t” don’t have that English h that is pronounced with hard consonants.

I like the idea that the name has style but also a story that inspires behind it.

Thanks again.

The first singular indicative present singular and plural would be respectively ἀσκῶ ἀσκοῦμεν (askō, askoumen).
asketi and asketa have no meaning. askētai means those who practice the art or ascetics. You are correct for the sound of “ē”. “ai” sounds more or less like in “sky”.

[Thisonequestion]

@bedwere

The first singular indicative present singular and plural would be respectively ἀσκῶ ἀσκοῦμεν (askō, askoumen).
asketi and asketa have no meaning. askētai means those who practice the art or ascetics. You are correct for the sound of “ē”. “ai” sounds more or less like in “sky”.

Asketai, sounds good. Asketai - practicing the art of ascetic art. Asketai - less is more. Hmmm … Thanks.

[bedwere]

Welcome. During the night I realized I forgot two meanings for ἀσκητά :
if the final alpha is short, it means o ascetic! That is vocative case, used when someone is calling that person. If the final alpha is long, it means two ascetics (Ancient Greek has also the dual).