| 1 | τεκμήριον, ου (τό)
1. Sign of recognition (signe de reconnaissance):
Originally, the term referred to a distinctive mark or sign by which something could be recognized or identified. Examples include uses in Herodotus (Hdt. 2,13) and tragedy such as Aeschylus (Agamemnon 1366), Sophocles (Electra 744). It carries the sense of a visible or noticeable indication — a symptom or token that serves as evidence of something.
2. Mark, testimony, evidence, proof (marque, témoignage, preuve):
By extension, τεκμήριον came to mean any form of proof or demonstration — an argument or piece of evidence presented to establish a fact or truth. It can be something that provides or yields proof (παρέχεσθαι, διδόναι), as seen in Xenophon (Agesilaus 6.1) or the philosophical dialogues of Plato (Theaetetus 185b, 158b).
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It can mean to demonstrate or prove something by logical or empirical means (ἀποδεικνύναι, ἀποφαίνειν).
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In rhetoric and logic, τεκμήριον is understood as a conclusive proof, distinguished from less certain signs such as σημεῖον (sign) or εἰκός (probability). Aristotle treats it as a form of proof that yields certainty, contrasting with these other types of evidence that might be fallible or probabilistic (see Aristotle, Analytica Posteriora 2.27.7; Rhetoric 1.2.16 and 2.25.8).
Typical usage in discourse:
It is common for a speaker or writer to introduce a τεκμήριον with the phrase τεκμήριον δέ τούτο (“and here is the proof for this”), sometimes followed by the particle γάρ to explain or justify the assertion with evidence, as seen in Herodotus (2.58), Thucydides (2.50), or Demosthenes (459, 28).
Etymology:
The word derives from τέκμαρ, which also denotes a fixed, established sign or limit, something that marks certainty or serves as a criterion.
Summary:
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τεκμήριον began as a recognizable sign or mark, a symptom or distinctive token.
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It evolved to signify a piece of evidence, proof, or testimony that can establish the truth of a claim.
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Philosophically and rhetorically, it indicates conclusive proof (as opposed to probable signs).
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Often introduced in argumentation as a clear and authoritative demonstration of the point under discussion.
(cf. LSJ, Bailley)
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