Quick Definition
πυνθάνομαι v. I ask, inquire
Strong's Definition
middle voice prolonged from a primary putho (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); to question, i.e. ascertain by inquiry (as a matter of information merely; and thus differing from 2065, which properly means a request as a favor; and from 154, which is strictly a demand for something due; as well as from 2212, which implies a search for something hidden; and from 1189, which involves the idea of urgent need); by implication, to learn (by casual intelligence)
KJV Usage: ask, demand, enquire, understand
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor. ἐπυθόμην · ptc. πυθόμενος
33.181 · Communication · Question, Answer
to inquire, to make an inquiry, to ask to inquire about something
MAT 2:4 · LUK 15:26 · LUK 18:36 · JHN 4:52 · JHN 13:24 · ACT 4:7 · ACT 10:18 · ACT 10:29 · ACT 21:33 · ACT 23:19
27.11 · Learn · Learn
to learn about, to find out about by inquiry to acquire information by questioning Since πυνθάνομαι[b] and διερωτάω imply quite distinct semantic components, namely ‘to acquire information’ and ‘by the process of questioning,’ it may be appropriate in many languages to use two verbs meaning ‘to ask’ and ‘to find out.’ Accordingly, this expression in ACT 10:17 may be rendered as ‘meanwhile, men sent by Cornelius asked and learned where Simon’s house was.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πυνθάνομαι; impf. ἐπυνθανόμην; 2 aor. ἐπυθόμην ; [cf. Curtius § 328]; a depon. verb; as in class. Grk. fr. Hom. down 1. to inquire, ask: foll. by an indir. quest. —w. the indic. Acts x. 18; with the opt., Jn. xiii. 24 RG; Lk. xv. 26; xviii. 36; Acts xxi. 32; foll. by a dir. quest., Acts iv. 7; x. 29; xxiii. 19; παρά τινός τι [B. 167 (146)], Jn.iv.52; παρά twos foll. by an indir. quest. w. the indic. Mt. ii. 4; τὶ περί τινος, Acts xxiii. 20. 2. to ascertain by inquiry: foll. by ὅτι, Acts xxiii. 84 [A. V. understood ].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πυνθάνομαι pynthanomai 12x
to ask, inquire, Mt. 2:4; Lk. 15:26; to investigate, examine judicially, Acts 23:20; to ascertain by inquiry, understand, Acts 23:34
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πυνθάνομαι,
[in LXX for דּרשׁ;]
to inquire: c. acc. rei, Jo 4:42, Ac 23:20; seq. quæst. indir., Mt 2:4, Lk 15:26 18:36, Ac 10:18 21:33; quæst. dir., Ac 4:7 10:29 23:19; seq. παρά, c. gen. pers., Mt 2:4, Jo 4:52.
to learn by inquiry: seq. ὅτι, Ac 23:34.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πυνθάνομαι, “inquire,” is common: P Petr II. 16'% (11,8.6.) πευσόμεσθα ἀκριβέστερον (cf. Ac 23°°), PSI VI. 61415 (iii/B.c.) πυνθάνεται εἴ τι ἥκει γράμμα παρά σου, P Cairo Zen I. 5904418 (B.C. 257) νῦν μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν πυνθανόμεθα ὀλιγωρεῖσθαι, P Eleph 133 (B.C. 223-2) ἐγὼ οὖν ἐπυνθανόμην τοῦ Σανῶτος, εἴ τι βούλοιτο ἐν τοῖς καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς τόποις, P Lond 431 (ii/B.c.) (=I. p. 48, Crest. I. p. 162) πυνθανομένη μανθάνειν oe Αἰγύπτια γράμματα συνεχάρην σοι καὶ ἐμαυτῆι, P Oxy VIII. r1o2'! (c. Α.Ὁ. 146) πυνθανομένου pov οὐδὲν σαφὲς ἐδήλω[ σ]εῖν, 24. VI. 9301! (ii/ili A.D.) ἐμέλησε δέ μοι πέμψαι καὶ πυθέσθαι περὶ τῆς Vylas σου. and Up. PSI III. 1847 (notice of a fire—A.D. 292) χθὲς περὶ ἕκτην ὥραν ἐξαίφνης καύματος ἐνόντος πῦρ ἐν σκυβάλοις χόρτου ++. ἀνεφάνη. In P Oxy VI. 903° (iv/A.D.) a wife amongst other charges against her husband alleges—mip προσήνεγκεν ταῖς τροφίμαις pov γυμνώσας αὐϊτὰϊς παντελῶς ἃ οὐ ποιοῦσι οἱ νόμοι, ‘‘ he applied fire to my foster-daughters, having stripped them quite naked, which is contrary to the laws’ (Edd.).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πυνθάνομαι (punthanomai) — to inquire. πυνθάνομαι, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; poetry also πεύθομαι (which see): Epic dialect imperfect πυνθανόμην [Refs]: future πεύσομαι [Refs 8th c.BC+], Doric dialect πευσοῦμαι [Refs 3rd c.BC+] (so codex middle in [Refs 4th c.BC+]: aorist ἐπῠθόμην [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc., Epic dialect and Lyric poetry πυθόμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; imperative πυθοῦ, Ionic dialect πυθεῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect optative πεπύθοιτο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural πυθοίατο [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect πέπυσμαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 2nd pers. singular πέπῠσαι [Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect πέπυσσαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; infinitive πεπύσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; participle πεπυσμένος [Refs 5th c.BC+]: pluperfect ἐπεπύσμην [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἐπέπυστο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. dual πεπύσθην [Refs]:—learn, whether by hearsay or by inquiry (ἐξιστορήσαντες τὰ ἐβούλοντο πυθέσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
1. π. τί τινος learn something from a person, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently παρά τινος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παρ᾽ ἄλλων (variant{ἄλλων}) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. with accusative of things only, hear or learn a thing, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
3. with genitive objecti, hear or inquire concerning, πυθέσθαι πατρός, ἀγγελιάων, μάχης, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
4. π. τινά τινος inquire about one person of or from another, τὸν ἄνδρα τῶν ὁδοιπόρων [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with accusative person only, inquire about a person, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. with participle, πυθόμην ὁδὸν ὁρμαίνοντα that he was starting, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὔ πω.. πεπύσθην Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος they had not yet heard of his being dead, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
6. with accusative et infinitive, hear or learn that.. , [Refs 5th c.BC+]
7. followed by an interrogative clause, ὡς πυθώμεθα ὅπου ποτ᾽ ἐσμέν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; αὐτοῦ π. τί ποτε νοεῖ inquire or learn from him what.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. εἰ.. inquire whether.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῦ ξένου ἡδέως ἂν π., τί ταῦθ᾽ ἡγοῦντο [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τινῶν, ὅτι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π., ὅπως ἂν κάλλιστα πορευθείη[Refs]
II. active, aorist 1 participle feminine πεύσασα having learned, [Refs 6th c.AD+]
II.2. see at {πεύθω}.