περίοικος
períoikos
G4040 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Living nearby, residing in the vicinity; one who dwells around a central location. Used both as an adjective for something neighboring or adjacent and as a substantive for 'neighbor' or 'neighboring resident.' In contexts involving settlements, may denote someone from a surrounding village or town.
Semantic Range
living nearby, residing in the vicinity, neighbor (person living nearby), neighboring resident, adjacent inhabitant, member of a peripheral community
Root / Etymology
From the preposition περί (around, about) and οἶκος (house, dwelling), thus literally 'dwelling around [something].'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, περίοικος was used to describe individuals inhabiting the areas surrounding a principal city or site. Notably, it referred to non-citizen inhabitants living near (but outside) a city's political boundaries, such as the famous 'Perioikoi' of Sparta—a class distinct from both the Spartan citizens and the helots, indicating residency in outlying communities. In later Hellenistic and Koine use, including the Septuagint and New Testament era, it shifted into a general term for 'neighbor,' with less social-political distinction implied. Its sense overlaps with πλησίον in designating a near or adjacent person, but πλησίον does not carry the nuance of established residence as περίοικος does. English Bible translations typically render περίοικος as 'neighbor,' but this can obscure the word's potential implications of proximity, shared region, or communal relations, particularly in urban or rural settlement contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from περί and οἶκος; housed around, i.e. neighboring (used elliptically as a noun):--neighbour.
Root Family
οἰκ- (enkatoikéō) — to dwell, to inhabit, to reside
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1460 | ἐγκατοικέω | one dwelling within |
| G1774 | ἐνοικέω | let it dwell within |
| G2733 | κατοικία | of a dwelling |
| G3351 | μετοικίζω | I will resettle |
| G3609 | οἰκεῖος | household members |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4040-01 |
περίοικοι | perioikoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
neighbors | neighboring residents | neighboring residents | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4040-01 |
Luke 1:58 | περίοικοι | perioikoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
neighbors | neighboring residents | neighboring residents |