σοφός

σοφός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. If related to Σίσυφος (Sísuphos) and σαφής (saphḗs, “speaking clearly”), then likely from a substrate[1]. Alternatively, cognate with Latin sapiō.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /so.pʰós/ → /soˈɸos/ → /soˈfos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /so.pʰós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /soˈpʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /soˈɸos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /soˈfos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /soˈfos/

Adjective

σοφός • (sophós) m (feminine σοφή, neuter σοφόν); first/second declension

1. clever, skillful, cunning, able
2. intelligent, wise, prudent

Inflection

First and second declension of σοφός; σοφή; σοφόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		σοφός sophós	σοφή sophḗ	σοφόν sophón		σοφώ sophṓ	σοφᾱ́ sophā́	σοφώ sophṓ		σοφοί sophoí	σοφαί sophaí	σοφᾰ́ sophá
Genitive		σοφοῦ sophoû	σοφῆς sophês	σοφοῦ sophoû		σοφοῖν sophoîn	σοφαῖν sophaîn	σοφοῖν sophoîn		σοφῶν sophôn	σοφῶν sophôn	σοφῶν sophôn
Dative		σοφῷ sophôi	σοφῇ sophêi	σοφῷ sophôi		σοφοῖν sophoîn	σοφαῖν sophaîn	σοφοῖν sophoîn		σοφοῖς sophoîs	σοφαῖς sophaîs	σοφοῖς sophoîs
Accusative		σοφόν sophón	σοφήν sophḗn	σοφόν sophón		σοφώ sophṓ	σοφᾱ́ sophā́	σοφώ sophṓ		σοφούς sophoús	σοφᾱ́ς sophā́s	σοφᾰ́ sophá
Vocative		σοφέ sophé	σοφή sophḗ	σοφόν sophón		σοφώ sophṓ	σοφᾱ́ sophā́	σοφώ sophṓ		σοφοί sophoí	σοφαί sophaí	σοφᾰ́ sophá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		σοφῶς sophôs				σοφώτερος sophṓteros				σοφώτᾰτος sophṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• σοφῐ́ᾱ (sophíā)

and:

• ἀγροικόσοφος (agroikósophos, “with rude mother-wit”)
• ἀκρόσοφος (akrósophos, “high in wisdom”)
• ἄσοφος (ásophos, “foolish”)
• αὐτόσοφος (autósophos, “with native mother-wit”)
• βᾰθῠσοφός (bathusophós)
• δῐᾰ́σοφος (diásophos, “very wise”)
• δοξομᾰταιόσοφος (doxomataiósophos, “would-be philosopher”)
• δοξόσοφος (doxósophos, “wise in one's own conceit”)
• δοκησῐ́σοφος (dokēsísophos, “wise in one's own conceit”)
• ἐμφῐλόσοφος (emphilósophos, “philosophical”)
• ἔνσοφος (énsophos, “wise in”)
• ἐπίσσοφος m (epíssophos, “supervisor, an official at Thera”)
• ἐθελοφῐλόσοφος m (ethelophilósophos, “would-be philosopher”)
• ζωόσοφος (zōósophos, “wise unto life”)
• ἡμῐ́σοφος (hēmísophos, “half-wise”)
• θεόσοφος (theósophos, “wise in the things of God”)
• θῡμόσοφος (thūmósophos, “wise from one's own soul”)
• ἰᾱτροφῐλόσοφος m (iātrophilósophos, “scientific doctor”)
• μῑκρόσοφος (mīkrósophos, “wise in small matters”)
• μῑσόσοφος (mīsósophos, “hating wisdom”)
• μωρόσοφος (mōrósophos, “foolishly wise, sapient fool”)
• ὀφθαλμόσοφος (ophthalmósophos, “skilled in the eyes; oculist”)
• οἰησῐ́σοφος (oiēsísophos, “wisein his own conceit”)
• πάνσοφος (pánsophos, “most clever”)
• πᾰντόσοφος (pantósophos, “most clever”)
• πάσσοφος (pássophos, “πάνσοφος”)
• πολῠ́σοφος (polúsophos, “very wise”)
• προσποιησῐ́σοφος (prospoiēsísophos, “pretending to be wise”) προσποιήσοφος (prospoiḗsophos)
• Σοφοκλέης m (Sophokléēs, “Sophocles”), Σοφοκλῆς (Sophoklês)
• σοφόνοος (sophónoos, “wise-minded”), σοφόνους (sophónous)
• σοφοτέχνης m (sophotékhnēs, “skilled in art”)
• τρῐ́σοφος (trísophos, “thrice wise: very wise”)
• ῠ̔πέρσοφος (hupérsophos, “exceedingly wise”)
• ῠ̔πόσοφος (hupósophos, “sub-scientific”)
• φιλοσοφοκλῆς (philosophoklês, “a lover of Sophocles”)
• φῐλοσοφομειρᾰκίσκος m (philosophomeirakískos, “young man of science”)
• φῐλόσοφος m (philósophos, “lover of wisdom, philosopher”)
• χειρίσοφος (kheirísophos, “χειρόσοφος”)
• Χειρίσοφος m (Kheirísophos, “male name”)
• χειρόσοφος (kheirósophos, “skilled with the hands”)

Related terms

α...ω index for -σοφ-

Related terms

• ἀγροικόσοφος (agroikósophos, “with rude mother-wit”)
• ἀκᾰτᾰσόφῐστος (akatasóphistos, “not to be put down by fallacies”)
• ἀκρόσοφος (akrósophos, “high in wisdom”)
• ἀντῐσοφῐ́ζομαι (antisophízomai, “use counter-devices”)
• ἀντισοφῐστεύω (antisophisteúō)
• ἀντισοφῐστής m (antisophistḗs, “who seeks to refute”)
• ἀντιφῐλοσοφέω (antiphilosophéō, “hold contrary tenets”)
• ἀποσοφόομαι (aposophóomai, “become wise”)
• ἀσοφῐ́ᾱ f (asophíā, “folly, stupidity”)
• ἀσόφῐστος (asóphistos, “not deluded by fallacies”)
• ἄσοφος (ásophos, “foolish”)
• αὐτοσοφῐ́ᾱ f (autosophíā, “authentic wisdom”)
• αὐτόσοφος (autósophos, “with native wit, mother wit”)
• ἀφῐλοσόφητος (aphilosóphētos, “not versed in philosophy”)
• ἀφῐλοσοφῐ́ᾱ f (aphilosophíā, “contempt for philosophy”)
• ἀφῐλόσοφος (aphilósophos, “without taste for philosophy, unphilosophical”)
• βᾰθῠσοφός (bathusophós)
• γυμνοσοφῐσταί m pl (gumnosophistaí, “naked philosophers, gymnosophists”)
• γυμνοσοφῐστῐ́ᾱ f (gumnosophistíā, “wisdom of gymnosophists”)
• δειπνοσοφῐστής m (deipnosophistḗs, “learned in the mysteries of the kitchen”), Δειπνοσοφισταί m pl (Deipnosophistaí, “title of work by Athenaeus”)
• δῐᾰσοφῐ́ζομαι (diasophízomai, “argue like a sophist”)
• δῐᾰ́σοφος (diásophos, “very wise”)
• δοξομᾰταιόσοφος (doxomataiósophos, “would-be philosopher”)
• δοξοσοφῐ́ᾱ f (doxosophíā, “conceit of wisdom”)
• δοξόσοφος (doxósophos, “wise in one's own conceit”)
• δοκησῐσοφῐ́ᾱ f (dokēsisophíā, “conceit of wisdom”)
• δοκησῐ́σοφος (dokēsísophos, “wise in one's own conceit”)
• ἐθελοφῐλόσοφος m (ethelophilósophos, “would-be philosopher”)
• ἐμφῐλοσοφέω (emphilosophéō, “study philosophy in”)
• ἐμφῐλόσοφος (emphilósophos, “philosophical”)
• ἐνσοφῐστεύω (ensophisteúō, “tirck like a sophist”)
• ἔνσοφος (énsophos, “wise in”)
• ἐπῐσοφῐ́ζομαι (episophízomai, “devise in addition”)
• ἐπίσσοφος m (epíssophos, “supervisor, an official at Thera”)
• ἐθελοφῐλόσοφος m (ethelophilósophos, “would-be philosopher”)
• ζωόσοφος (zōósophos, “wise unto life”)
• ἡμῐ́σοφος (hēmísophos, “half-wise”)
• θεοσοφέω (theosophéō, “have knowledge of things divine”)
• θεοσοφῐ́ᾱ f (theosophíā, “knowledge of things divine”)
• θεόσοφος (theósophos, “wise in the things of God”)
• θῡμοσοφῐκός (thūmosophikós, “clever”)
• θῡμόσοφος (thūmósophos, “wise from one's own soul”)
• ἰᾱτροσοφῐστής m (iātrosophistḗs, “professor of medicine”)
• ἰᾱτροφῐλόσοφος m (iātrophilósophos, “scientific doctor”)
• κᾰτᾰσοφῐ́ζομαι (katasophízomai, “outwit by sophisms”)
• κᾰτᾰσοφῐσμός m (katasophismós, “outwitting, trickery”)
• κᾰτᾰφῐλοσοφέω (kataphilosophéō, “overcome in philosophizing”)
• μεγᾰλοσοφῐστής m (megalosophistḗs, “μέγας (great) σοφιστής”)
• μετεωροσοφῐστής m (meteōrosophistḗs, “astronomical sophist”)
• μῑκρόσοφος (mīkrósophos, “wise in small matters”)
• μῑσόσοφος (mīsósophos, “hating wisdom”)
• μωρόσοφος (mōrósophos, “foolishly wise, sapient fool”)
• ὀφθαλμόσοφος (ophthalmósophos, “skilled in the eyes; oculist”)
• οἰησῐ́σοφος (oiēsísophos, “wisein his own conceit”)
• πάνσοφος (pánsophos, “most clever”)
• πᾰντόσοφος (pantósophos, “most clever”)
• πᾰρᾰσοφῐ́ζομαι (parasophízomai, “out-do in skill, refine overmuch; apply art wrongly”)
• πᾰρᾰσόφῐσμᾰ n (parasóphisma, “additional invention”)
• πάσσοφος (pássophos, “πάνσοφος”)
• περῐσοφῐ́ζομαι (perisophízomai, “overreach, cheat”)
• πολῠ́σοφος (polúsophos, “very wise”)
• προσποιησῐ́σοφος (prospoiēsísophos, “pretending to be wise”) προσποιήσοφος (prospoiḗsophos)
• προσφῐλοσοφέω (prosphilosophéō, “speculate further upon”)
• προσφῐλοσοφητέον (prosphilosophētéon, “must begin philosophy”)
• σεσοφῐσμένως (sesophisménōs, “cunningly”, adverb)
• σοφῐ́ᾱ f (sophíā, “skill, wisdom”)
• σοφῐβόλος (sophibólos, “stupid”)
• σοφῐ́ζω (sophízō, “make wise, instruct, devise”), σοφῐ́ζομαι
• σοφῐ́η f (sophíē, “skill, wisdom, σοφία”) (Ionic)
• σόφῐσμᾰ n (sóphisma, “skill, method”)
• σοφῐσμᾰτῐκός (sophismatikós, “sophistical”)
• σοφῐσμάτιον n (sophismátion, “diminutive of σόφισμα”)
• σοφῐσματώδης (sophismatṓdēs, “sophistical”)
• σοφῐσμός m (sophismós, “skill, method, σόφισμα”)
• σοφῐστείᾱ f (sophisteíā, “sophistry”)
• σοφῐστέον (sophistéon, “one must contrive”)
• σοφῐστέος (sophistéos, “one must contrive”)
• σοφῐ́στευμᾰ n (sophísteuma, “skill, method, σόφισμα”)
• σοφῐστεύω (sophisteúō, “play the sophist; teach, give lectures”)
• σοφῐστήρῐον n (sophistḗrion, “school of sophistry”)
• σοφῐστής m (sophistḗs, “expert; philosopher, teacher; swindler”)
• σοφῐστῐάω (sophistiáō, “play the sophist”)
• σοφῐστῐκός (sophistikós, “of a sophist”)
• σοφῐστορήτωρ m (sophistorḗtōr, “σοφιστὴς sophist and ῥήτωρ orator”)
• σοφῐ́στρῐᾰ f (sophístria, “feminine of σοφιστής”)
• Σοφοκλέης m (Sophokléēs, “Sophocles”) Σοφοκλῆς (Sophoklês)
• σοφόνοος (sophónoos, “wise-minded”), σοφόνους (sophónous)
• σοφός (sophós, “wise”)
• σοφοτέχνης m (sophotékhnēs, “skilled in art”)
• σοφόω (sophóō, “σοφίζω, make wise, instruct, devise”)
• σῠμφῐλοσοφέω (sumphilosophéō, “join in philosophizing”)
• σῠνασοφέω (sunasophéō, “be unwise, foolish along with”)
• τρῐ́σοφος (trísophos, “thrice wise: very wise”)
• ῠ̔περσοφῐστεύω (hupersophisteúō, “be an arch-sophist”)
• ῠ̔περσοφῐστής m (hupersophistḗs, “arch-sophist”)
• ῠ̔πέρσοφος (hupérsophos, “exceedingly wise”)
• ῠ̔περφῐλοσοφέω (huperphilosophéō, “philosophize exceedingly”)
• ῠ̔πόσοφος (hupósophos, “sub-scientific”)
• φῐλοσοφέω (philosophéō, “philosophize, love knowledge”)
• φῐλοσόφημᾰ n (philosóphēma, “a subject of philosophic inquiry; logic demonstration, principal”)
• φῐλοσοφητέον n (philosophētéon, “must pursue wisdom”)
• φῐλοσοφητέος (philosophētéos, “must pursue wisdom”)
• φῐλοσοφῐ́ᾱ f (philosophíā, “love of knowledge, philosophy”)
• φῐλοσοφῐκός m (philosophikós, “concerned with philosophy”)
• φιλοσοφοκλῆς (philosophoklês, “a lover of Sophocles”)
• φῐλοσοφομειρᾰκίσκος m (philosophomeirakískos, “young man of science”)
• φῐλόσοφος m (philósophos, “lover of wisdom, philosopher”)
• χειρίσοφος (kheirísophos, “χειρόσοφος”)
• Χειρίσοφος m (Kheirísophos, “male name”)
• χειρόσοφος (kheirósophos, “skilled with the hands”)
• ψευδοσοφῐ́ᾱ f (pseudosophíā, “false wisdom”)
• ψευδοσοφῐστής m (pseudosophistḗs, “sham-sophist”)

Descendants

• → Coptic: ⲥⲟⲫⲟⲥ (sophos)
• Greek: σοφός (sofós)
• → Latin: sophos

References

1. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “σοφός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1374-75

Further reading

• “σοφός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σοφός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• G4680 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • able idem, page 2.
  • acute idem, page 10.
  • adroit idem, page 13.
  • astute idem, page 48.
  • capable idem, page 111.
  • clever idem, page 137.
  • deep idem, page 203.
  • deft idem, page 206.
  • dexterous idem, page 221.
  • doctor idem, page 245.
  • erudite idem, page 281.
  • genius idem, page 357.
  • good idem, page 366.
  • intelligent idem, page 448.
  • learned idem, page 483.
  • philosopher idem, page 610.
  • proficient idem, page 653.
  • profound idem, page 653.
  • sagacious idem, page 731.
  • sage idem, page 731.
  • savant idem, page 735.
  • scholar idem, page 739.
  • shrewd idem, page 770.
  • skilful idem, page 780.
  • thinker idem, page 867.
  • wise idem, page 982.
  • wiseacre idem, page 982.

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Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σοφός (sophós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /soˈfos/
• Hyphenation: σο‧φός

Adjective

σοφός • (sofós) m (feminine σοφή, neuter σοφό)

1. wise

Declension

Declension of σοφός

number  case \\ gender	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	σοφός •	σοφή •	σοφό •	σοφοί •	σοφές •	σοφά •
genitive	σοφού •	σοφής •	σοφού •	σοφών •	σοφών •	σοφών •
accusative	σοφό •	σοφή •	σοφό •	σοφούς •	σοφές •	σοφά •
vocative	σοφέ •	σοφή •	σοφό •	σοφοί •	σοφές •	σοφά •
derivations	Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο σοφός, etc.) Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο σοφός, etc.)

Degrees of comparison by suffixation

comparative	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	σοφότερος •	σοφότερη •	σοφότερο •	σοφότεροι •	σοφότερες •	σοφότερα •
genitive	σοφότερου •	σοφότερης •	σοφότερου •	σοφότερων •	σοφότερων •	σοφότερων •
accusative	σοφότερο •	σοφότερη •	σοφότερο •	σοφότερους •	σοφότερες •	σοφότερα •
vocative	σοφότερε •	σοφότερη •	σοφότερο •	σοφότεροι •	σοφότερες •	σοφότερα •
derivations	relative superlative: ο + comparative forms (eg "ο σοφότερος", etc)
Absolute superlative	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	σοφότατος •	σοφότατη •	σοφότατο •	σοφότατοι •	σοφότατες •	σοφότατα •
genitive	σοφότατου •	σοφότατης •	σοφότατου •	σοφότατων •	σοφότατων •	σοφότατων •
accusative	σοφότατο •	σοφότατη •	σοφότατο •	σοφότατους •	σοφότατες •	σοφότατα •
vocative	σοφότατε •	σοφότατη •	σοφότατο •	σοφότατοι •	σοφότατες •	σοφότατα •

Noun

σοφός • (sofós) m (plural σοφοί)

1. a wise man, a sage

Declension

declension of σοφός

case     \\     number	singular	plural
nominative	σοφός •	σοφοί •
genitive	σοφού •	σοφών •
accusative	σοφό •	σοφούς •
vocative	σοφέ •	σοφοί •

Related terms

• αμπελοφιλοσοφία f (ampelofilosofía, “silly, consequential theory, inferior philosophy”)
• αμπελοφιλόσοφος m (ampelofilósofos, “self-important, consequential thinker”)
• άσοφα (ásofa, “unwisely”, adverb)
• άσοφος (ásofos, “unwise”)
• αφιλοσόφητος (afilosófitos, “not versed in philosophy”)
• γιατροσόφι n (giatrosófi, “folk medicine”), ιατροσόφιο (iatrosófio) (rare)
• δοκησισοφία f (dokisisofía, “conceit of wisdom”)
• δοκησίσοφος (dokisísofos, “wise in one's own conceit”)
• θεοσοφία f (theosofía, “theosophy”)
• θεοσοφισμός m (theosofismós, “theosophism”)
• θυμοσοφία f (thymosofía, “mother wit, practical wisdom”)
• θυμόσοφος (thymósofos, “with native wit”)
• ιατροφιλόσοφος m (iatrofilósofos, “physician of older times, occupied with philosophy”)
• κενόσοφος (kenósofos, “empty of meaningful thinking”)
• μεταφιλοσοφία f (metafilosofía, “metaphilosophy”)
• ξυλόσοφος (xylósofos, “would-be philosopher”)(jocular)
• πάνσοφα (pánsofa, “most wisely, omnisciently”, adverb)
• πανσοφία f (pansofía, “extreme wisdom, pansophy, omniscience, polymathy”)
• πάνσοφος (pánsofos, “most wise, pansoph, omniscient, polymath”)
• πανσόφως (pansófos, “most wisely, omnisciently”, adverb) (formal)
• σοφά (sofá, “wisely”, adverb)
• σοφία f (sofía, “wisdom”), Σοφία f (Sofía, “female name: wisdom”)
• σοφίζομαι (sofízomai, “devise, make out”)
• σόφισμα n (sófisma, “sophism”)
• σοφιστεία f (sofisteía, “sophistry”)
• σοφιστής m (sofistís, “sophist”)
• σοφιστικέ (sofistiké, “(French): sophistiqué. sophisticated, refined”) (indeclinable)
• σοφιστική f (sofistikí, “the art and teaching of sophists”) (in singular only)
• σοφιστικός (sofistikós, “of a sophist”)
• σοφόκλειος (sofókleios, “referring to the tragic poet Sophocles”)
• Σοφοκλής m (Sofoklís, “Sophocles”), polytonic script: Σοφοκλῆς
• σοφολογιότατος (sofologiótatos, “a wise scholar; pedantic”)
• σοφόν τὸ σαφές (sofón tὸ safés, “(adage) wise is the precise”) (by Euripides)
• φιλοσοφία f (filosofía, “philosophy”) and derivatives
• ψευδόσοφος m (psevdósofos, “a fake wise man”)
• ψευδοφιλόσοφος m (psevdofilósofos, “pseudo-philosopher”)

 

Further reading

• σοφός - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.