ψέφας

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ψέφος (pséphos)

Etymology

A rhyming formation to κνέφας (knéphas). Usually Sanskrit क्षप् (kṣáp, “night”) is considered to be somehow related, but a precise connection cannot be established. Furnée takes σεῖφα (seîpha, “darkness, gloom”) as a shortened form of this word and also suggests to connect ζέφυρος (zéphuros, “west wind”). The variations would point to a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /psé.pʰas/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpse.pʰas/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpse.ɸas/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpse.fas/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpse.fas/

Noun

ψέφᾰς • (pséphas) n (genitive ψέφᾰος); third declension

gloom, darkness
Synonyms: δνόφος (dnóphos), ζόφος (zóphos), κνέφας (knéphas), σκοτία (skotía)

Declension

Third declension of τὸ ψέφᾰς; τοῦ ψέφᾰος (contracted, Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	τὸ ψέφᾰς tò pséphas
Genitive	τοῦ ψέφᾰος toû pséphaos
Dative	τῷ ψέφᾰῐ̈ tôi pséphaï
Accusative	τὸ ψέφᾰς tò pséphas
Vocative	ψέφᾰς pséphas
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ψεφαῖος (psephaîos)
ψεφαρός (psepharós)
ψεφαυγοῦς (psephaugoûs)
ψεφηνός (psephēnós)
ψεφοειδής (psephoeidḗs)