didáskein

Didáskein, transliterated as didáskein and written in Greek as διδάσκειν, is the present active infinitive of the ancient Greek verb didáskō (διδάσκω), meaning to teach or to instruct. As an infinitive, didáskein is used to express the action of teaching in a non-conjugated form and appears in various grammatical constructions, including purpose or content clauses and as a complement to verbs of perception or thought.

Etymology and related forms: The verb didáskō belongs to a family of terms tied to teaching and education. Its derivatives include the noun didaskálos (διδάσκαλος), meaning “teacher,” and the adjective didaktikós (διδακτικός), from which the English word didactic is derived. The stem didas- is associated with instruction and demonstration, and the related noun didachḗ (διδαχή) denotes teaching or instruction more generally.

Usage and context: In classical Greek literature, didáskein appears in phrases indicating the act of teaching someone something, or describing teaching as a practice within education, philosophy, or rhetoric. The word is common in discussions of pedagogy, dialectic, and the transmission of knowledge, reflecting the central role of teachers and instruction in ancient Greek intellectual life. Because its sense is broad, didáskein can convey both formal instruction and the act of demonstrating or explaining a concept.

See also: Didaskein-related terms include didáskalos (teacher) and didaktikós (didactic), as well as the broader concept of didaktikḗ in Greek philosophy and education. The modern Greek cognate διδάσκω shares the same core meaning of “to teach.”