Arkheîn

Arkheîn (Greek: ἄρχειν, archein) is the Ancient Greek present active infinitive of the verb ἄρχω (árkhō), meaning primarily “to rule” or “to govern.” In classical usage the sense often centers on leadership or command, but because ruling is often linked to being first, the idea of “being first” or “leading” can also appear in some contexts. The form archein is the standard infinitive, with related forms occurring in a variety of tenses and voices in Greek literature.

The verb arkō is the linguistic source of a family of terms built from the root arche-, including noun and suffix formations that denote governance or origin. The noun arkḗ (ἀρχή) means “beginning, origin, or ruling principle,” and it underlies political terms such as monarchía (monarchy, rule by one) and oligarkhía (oligarchy, rule by a few). In philosophical and historical contexts, arkḗ is used to designate the governing principle or first cause of a system, apart from the act of ruling itself.

In Greek morphology, arkheîn is related to the broader semantic cluster centered on authority, leadership, and origin, which also yields the adjectival and nominal formations that permeate political and metaphysical vocabulary. While the verb primarily conveys ruling, its conceptual link to “beginning” reflects the ancient association between leadership and the ordering of a community or cosmos.

See also: archē, -archy, monarchy, oligarchy, arkhē as principle.