αποτελώ
Lemma: αποτελώ
Translation: to constitute; to make up; to form; to comprise; to represent (verb)
Etymology: From Ancient Greek ἀποτελέω (apoteléō), composed of ἀπό (apó, 'from, away') + τελέω (teléō, 'to complete, accomplish'). The root τελ- is related to English 'teleology' and 'telephone' (distant completion). The original sense was 'to bring to completion' or 'to accomplish fully', which evolved into the modern meaning of 'to constitute' or 'to form completely'. This semantic shift reflects the idea that something constitutes a whole by completing or fulfilling its essential nature.
Example Usage
Οι φοιτητές αποτελούν το μεγαλύτερο μέρος του πληθυσμού της πόλης.
Students constitute the largest part of the city's population.
Αυτό το βιβλίο αποτελεί σημαντική πηγή πληροφοριών.
This book constitutes an important source of information.
Η ομάδα αποτελείται από δέκα μέλη.
The team is made up of ten members.
Mnemonics
- Think 'apo-TELL-o' - it tells you what something is made of
- Remember 'teleology' - both involve completion or fulfillment of purpose
Synonyms
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
Frequently used in formal writing, academic texts, and news reports when describing what something consists of or represents. Common in political discourse when describing the composition of groups or institutions.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: αποτελώ means 'to constitute/form' while αποκαλώ means 'to call/name someone something'
Confused word:
Τον αποκαλούν ήρωα.
They call him a hero.
Notes: Both start with απο- but have completely different meanings and usage patterns
Mnemonic: αποτελώ has 'τελ' (complete/finish) - it completes something by forming it; αποκαλώ has 'καλ' (call) - it's about calling someone something