Quick Definition
προσφωνέω v. I call to, summon
Strong's Definition
to sound towards, i.e. address, exclaim, summon
Derivation: from G4314 (πρός) and G5455 (φωνέω);
KJV Usage: call unto, speak (un-)to
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | φωνέω
33.27 · Communication · Language Levels
to address, to speak out to to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness
33.79 · Communication · Speak, Talk
to call out to to call out, with the probable implication of seeking some response
1 LUK 7:32 In view of the occurrence of the prefix προσ- in a reciprocal sense in a number of contexts, particularly in Classical Greek, it may very well be that in the use of προσφωνέω in LUK 7:32 there is a measure of reciprocity implied in addition to the reciprocal pronoun.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
προσ-φωνέω, -ὦ ; impf. 3 pers. sing. προσεφώνει ; 1 aor. προσεφώνησα; 1. το call to; to address by calling: absol., Lk. xiii. 12; xxiii. 20 (where L WH add αὐτοῖς); Acts xxi. 40, (Hom. Od. 5, 159 ete.) ; with the dat. of a pers. [ef. W.36], Mt. xi. 16; Lk. vii. 32; Acts xxii. 2, (Diog. Laért. 7, 7). 2. to call to one’s self, summon: τινά (so the better Grk. writ.; see Matthiae § 402 b.; [W. § 52, 4, 147), Lk. vi. 18.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
προσφωνέω prosphōneō 7x
to speak to, address, Mt. 11:16; Lk. 7:32; 13:12; to address, harangue, Acts 22:2; to call to one’s self, Lk. 6:13
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
προσ-φωνέω, -ῶ,
[in LXX: I Es 2:21 6:6, 22, II Mac 15:15*;]
to address, call to; in cl., c. acc. pers., c. dupl. acc. (cf. II Mac 15:15); absol. (Hom., Od., v, 159, al.): Ac 21:40. In late writers, c. dat. pers.: Mt 11:16, Lk 7:32 13:12 23:20, Ac 22:2.
to call by name, summon: c. acc. (as in cl.), Lk 6:13.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
προσφωνέω is included by Mayser (Gr. p. 34) among the poetical verbs which have passed into the Kowy. For the meaning “‘address,”” ‘‘ give speech to,’”’ as in Ac 227, we may cite P Petr IL. 38(4)* (B.c, 242) παρὰ δέ σου οὐθ[ὲ]ν ἡμῖν προσπεφώνηται, ‘whereas from you not a word has been uttered ’’ (Ed.), Chrest. I. 27 verso (ii/A.D.) περὶ τούτου ὡς ἔδοξεϊν], προσφωνησάτω ἡμεῖν ὁ πρυτανικός. From this it is an easy transition to the more official sense of ‘‘report,’”’ as in P Ryl II. 8319 (a.p. 138-161) where a tax-collector states to the commission appointed to receive his accounts, προσφωνῶ περὶ τοῦ μηδέν por διαγεγρά(φθαι) ὑπὲρ [λ]ημμάτων ἰδίου λόγου, ‘I report to you that nothing has been paid to me on behalf of the revenues of the privy purse’ (Edd.), BGU I. 1618 (a.p. 159-160) (= Selections, Ρ. 84) ἐπιζητοῦσι ὑμ[τ]ν εἰ [οὕ]τως ἔχει προσφωνοῦμεν, ‘to your enquiries whether these things are so we report,’’ with reference to certain charges against a priest, P Oxy I. κι (A.D. 173) a public physician is instructed to inspect the body of a man who had been hanged, and προσφωνῆσαι regarding it, and similarly 26. III. 475° (a.p. 182), VI. 896% (A.D. 316): cf. 1 Esdr 272. The account of Nero’s speech to the Greeks on freedom in a.D. 67, Sy// 376 (=3814)8, is introduced with the words, συνελθόντων τῶν ὄχλων ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ προσεφώνησεν TA ὑπογεγραμμένα. The word is found associated with ὁμολογέω with the meaning “‘avow,’’ “‘acknowledge,”’ in P Gen I. 68: (a.p. 382) mporepa[v]noev kal ὁμολόγησεν Αὐ[ρή]λιος Ilepyapios, and in P Leid (89 (B.c. 99) (=I. p. 43) the editor (p. 47) thinks that προσφωνέω has the meaning compellandi, cum reprehenstone admonend?. For προσφώνησις cf. P Grenf I. 35° (B.c. 99) ἐγράψαμεν ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν βουλόμεθα, μηδεμιᾶς προσφωνήσεως προσπεπτωκνίας, and see Preisigke Fachworter s.v.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
προσφωνέω (prosphōneō) — to call to/summon. προσφων-έω, call or speak to, address, present first in [Refs 8th c.BC+] only in imperfect, the Epic dialect aorist being προσέειπον, τινα [NT+8th c.BC+]: with double accusative, address words to a person, οὐδέ τί μιν προσεφώνεον [Refs 8th c.BC+]
2. call by name, ποδαπὸν ὅμιλον τόνδε.. προσφωνοῦμε; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τινὰ βασιλέα salute him king, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
3. issue directions or orders, τινι [Refs 2nd c.BC+]:—passive, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
II. with accusative of things, pronounce, utter, τήνδε π. φάτιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; address or dedicate a book, τινι [Refs 1st c.BC+]
II.2. make a report, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; περί τινος Wilcken [Refs 2nd c.AD+]