speirein

Speirein is the transliteration of the ancient Greek infinitive σπείρειν, the present active form of the verb σπείρω. The core meaning is “to sow” or “to plant seeds,” used in agricultural contexts to describe the act of sowing seed across soil. In classical Greek literature the verb appears in ordinary descriptive passages about farming and cultivation, as well as in poetry where agricultural imagery is common.

Etymology and usage notes: Speirein derives from the Greek verb σπείρω, which denotes sowing and related agricultural activities. The infinitive σπείρειν is the standard dictionary form cited in grammars of ancient Greek. The verb is attested across various genres of antiquity and is often encountered in both practical descriptions of farming and metaphorical or rhetorical contexts that draw on agrarian imagery.

Transliteration and forms: In scholarly transliteration, the form is written as speirein. Greek spelling is σπείρειν. The verb has a typical ancient Greek verbal paradigm with a range of finite forms built on the same stem, including present, aorist, and future tenses, though this article focuses on the infinitive form.

Relation to related terms: The word is closely connected to σπείρω as a lexical root and appears in grammars and lexica discussing Greek agriculture vocabulary. It is of particular note to students of classical philology, linguistics, and ancient literature studying the vocabulary of sowing and cultivation.

See also: σπείρω, Greek verbs of cultivation, ancient Greek agriculture vocabulary.