Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary
δειπνον
The noun δειπνον (deipnon) means meal, both in the sense of a portion of food and the whole process of settling down to consume food displayed on a table: a dinner (or breakfast or lunch), whether privately or with family, or some formal dinner or elaborate dinner feast with the primary purpose of entertaining one's guests.
It's unclear where this word comes from, although a kinship might exist with the Proto-Indo-European root "deh-", to share or divide. This noun is used 16 times in the New Testament, see full concordance, and from it comes:
- The verb δειπνεω (deipneo), meaning to make or have a meal. This verb is used 4 times; see full concordance.
δαπανη
The noun δαπανη (dapane) means expense or cost. This word is fairly common in extant Greek literature, but occurs in the New Testament in Luke 14:28 only. It's of unclear origin but it may share its root with the above. From this noun derive:
- With the common prefix of negation α (a): the adjective αδαπανος (adapanos), meaning without cost or expense (1 Corinthians 9:18 only).
- The verb δαπαναω (dapanao), meaning to spend (money, time), or consume (goods; hence its possible connection to the noun δειπνον, deipnon, treated above). This verb is used 5 times; see full concordance, and from it in turn derive:
- Together with the preposition εκ (ek), meaning out or from: the verb εκδαπαναω (ekdapanao), meaning to spend up, to consume totally, to exhaust (2 Corinthians 12:15 only).
- Together with the preposition προς (pros), which describes a motion toward: the verb προσδαπαναω (prosdapanao), meaning to spend additionally toward a specified objective (Luke 10:35 only). This curious word occurs only one other time in extant Greek literature, namely in the Saturnalia of Lucian of Samosate (number 39).