Νεφελοκοκκυγία
Ancient Greek
FWOTD – 4 January 2013
Etymology
From νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”) + κόκκῡξ (kókkūx, “cuckoo”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā).
Pronunciation
- (5th BCE Attic) IPA(key): /ne.pʰe.lo.kok.kyː.ɡí.aː/
- (1st CE Egyptian) IPA(key): /ne.pʰe.lo.kok.kyˈɡi.a/
- (4th CE Koine) IPA(key): /ne.ɸe.lo.ko.cyˈʝi.a/
- (10th CE Byzantine) IPA(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.cyˈʝi.a/
- (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.ciˈʝi.a/
Proper noun
Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ • (Nephelokokkūgíā) f (genitive Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς); first declension
- cloud-cuckoo-land
- 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 819:
- Πισθέταιρος βούλει Νεφελοκοκκυγίαν?
Ἔποψ ἰοὺ ἰού: καλόν γ’ ἀτεχνῶς σὺ καὶ μέγ’ ηὗρες τοὔνομα!
Ἐυελπίδης ἆρ’ ἐστὶν αὑτηγὶ Νεφελοκοκκυγία, ἵνα καὶ τὰ Θεογένους τὰ πολλὰ χρήματα τά τ’ Αἰσχίνου γ’ ἅπαντα?- Pisthétairos boúlei Nephelokokkugían?
Épops ioù ioú: kalón g’ atekhnôs sù kaì még’ hēûres toúnoma!
Euelpídēs âr’ estìn hautēgì Nephelokokkugía, hína kaì tà Theogénous tà pollà khrḗmata tá t’ Aiskhínou g’ hápanta?
- Translation by Ian Johnston
- Pisthetairos: Well, then, how do you like this: Cloudcuckooland?
Chorus leader: Yes! That’s good! You’ve come up with a name that’s really wonderful—it’s great!
Euelpides: Hang on, is this Cloudcuckooland the very spot where Theogenes keeps lots of money, and Aeschines hides all his assets?
- Pisthetairos: Well, then, how do you like this: Cloudcuckooland?
- Pisthétairos boúlei Nephelokokkugían?
- Πισθέταιρος βούλει Νεφελοκοκκυγίαν?
Inflection
First declension of ἡ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ; τῆς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς (Attic)
Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | ἡ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ hē Nephelokokkūgíā | τὼ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ tṑ Nephelokokkūgíā | αἱ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αι hai Nephelokokkūgíai | ||||||||||
Genitive | τῆς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς tês Nephelokokkūgíās | τοῖν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αιν toîn Nephelokokkūgíain | τῶν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐῶν tôn Nephelokokkūgiôn | ||||||||||
Dative | τῇ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾳ têi Nephelokokkūgíāi | τοῖν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αιν toîn Nephelokokkūgíain | ταῖς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αις taîs Nephelokokkūgíais | ||||||||||
Accusative | τὴν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱν tḕn Nephelokokkūgíān | τὼ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ tṑ Nephelokokkūgíā | τᾱ̀ς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς tā̀s Nephelokokkūgíās | ||||||||||
Vocative | Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ Nephelokokkūgíā | Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ Nephelokokkūgíā | Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αι Nephelokokkūgíai | ||||||||||
Notes: |
|
Related terms
- Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐεύς (Nephelokokkūgieús)
Descendants
- → English: cloud-cuckoo-land (calque); → nephelococcygia
- → German: Wolkenkuckucksheim (calque)
- → Greek: Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía)
References
- “Νεφελοκοκκυγία”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “Νεφελοκοκκυγία”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
Greek
Etymology
Ancient Greek Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ (Nephelokokkūgíā, “cloud-cuckoo-land”), from (νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”) + κόκκῡξ (kókkūx, “cuckoo”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, “country suffix”)). A placename created by Aristophanes, the city of The Birds. In philological texts, referred as Nephelococcygia.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.ciˈʝi.a/
- Hyphenation: Νε‧φε‧λε‧κοκ‧κυ‧γί‧α
Proper noun
Νεφελοκοκκυγία • (Nefelokokkygía) f (plural Νεφελοκοκκυγίες)
- cloud-cuckoo-land, a utopia, imaginary place with unrealistic or silly people.
- Για τις Νεφελοκοκκυγίες σας έχω / πολλά κι ωραία τραγούδια εγώ συνθέσει
- Gia tis Nefelokokkygíes sas écho / pollá ki oraía tragoúdia egó synthései
- For your Cloudcuckoolands I have composed many and wonderful songs
- Translation (1967) in Modern Greek by Thrasyboulοs Stavrou of Aristophanes, The Birds, verses 917-918 @greek-language.gr
Declension
declension of Νεφελοκοκκυγία
case \\ number | singular | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
nominative | Νεφελοκοκκυγία • | Νεφελοκοκκυγίες • | |
genitive | Νεφελοκοκκυγίας • | {{{2}}}ών • | |
accusative | Νεφελοκοκκυγία • | Νεφελοκοκκυγίες • | |
vocative | Νεφελοκοκκυγία • | Νεφελοκοκκυγίες • | |
Usually in the singular. |
Further reading
Aristophanes' play 'The Birds' on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia el