βουλή

See also: βουλῇ and Βουλή

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• βόλλα (bólla) — Aeolic
• βωλά (bōlá) — Doric, Arcadocypriot, Boeotian

Etymology

From βούλομαι (boúlomai, “to wish; to will”) +‎ -η (-ē, verbal noun suffix).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /buː.lɛ̌ː/ → /βuˈli/ → /vuˈli/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /buː.lɛ̌ː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /buˈle̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βuˈli/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /vuˈli/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /vuˈli/

Noun

βουλή • (boulḗ) f (genitive βουλῆς); first declension

1. will; determination (especially of the gods)
   • c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.5:

     Διὸς δ’ ἐτελείετο βουλή

     Diòs d’ eteleíeto boulḗ

     so was the will of Zeus fulfilled

2. plan; project, intention
3. counsel; advice
4. council; senate

   Synonyms: γερουσῐ́ᾱ (gerousĭ́ā), ἐκκλησῐ́ᾱ (ekklēsĭ́ā), σῠ́γκλητος (sŭ́nklētos)

Declension

First declension of ἡ βουλή; τῆς βουλῆς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ βουλή hē boulḗ	τὼ βουλᾱ́ tṑ boulā́	αἱ βουλαί hai boulaí
Genitive	τῆς βουλῆς tês boulês	τοῖν βουλαῖν toîn boulaîn	τῶν βουλῶν tôn boulôn
Dative	τῇ βουλῇ tēî boulēî	τοῖν βουλαῖν toîn boulaîn	ταῖς βουλαῖς taîs boulaîs
Accusative	τὴν βουλήν tḕn boulḗn	τὼ βουλᾱ́ tṑ boulā́	τᾱ̀ς βουλᾱ́ς tā̀s boulā́s
Vocative	βουλή boulḗ	βουλᾱ́ boulā́	βουλαί boulaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First declension of βουλή; βουλῆς (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	βουλή boulḗ	βουλᾱ́ boulā́	βουλαί boulaí
Genitive	βουλῆς boulês	βουλαῖῐ̈ν boulaîĭ̈n	βουλᾱ́ων / βουλέων / βουλῶν boulā́ōn / bouléōn / boulôn
Dative	βουλῇ boulēî	βουλαῖῐ̈ν boulaîĭ̈n	βουλῇσῐ / βουλῇσῐν / βουλῇς / βουλαῖς boulēîsĭ(n) / boulēîs / boulaîs
Accusative	βουλήν boulḗn	βουλᾱ́ boulā́	βουλᾱ́ς boulā́s
Vocative	βουλή boulḗ	βουλᾱ́ boulā́	βουλαί boulaí
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First declension of ἡ βουλή; τῆς βουλῆς (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ βουλή hē boulḗ	τὼ βουλᾱ́ tṑ boulā́	αἱ βουλαί hai boulaí
Genitive	τῆς βουλῆς tês boulês	τοῖν βουλαῖν toîn boulaîn	τῶν βουλέων / βουλῶν tôn bouléōn / boulôn
Dative	τῇ βουλῇ tēî boulēî	τοῖν βουλαῖν toîn boulaîn	τῇσῐ / τῇσῐν βουλῇσῐ / βουλῇσῐν tēîsĭ(n) boulēîsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν βουλήν tḕn boulḗn	τὼ βουλᾱ́ tṑ boulā́	τᾱ̀ς βουλᾱ́ς tā̀s boulā́s
Vocative	βουλή boulḗ	βουλᾱ́ boulā́	βουλαί boulaí
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ἀριστόβουλος (aristóboulos), Ἀριστόβουλος (Aristóboulos)
• βᾰθῠ́βουλος (băthŭ́boulos)
• βουλεύω (bouleúō)
• βουληγόρος (boulēgóros)
• βουληφόρος (boulēphóros)
• ἐπιβουλή (epiboulḗ)
• εὔβουλος (eúboulos), Εὔβουλος (Eúboulos)
• Θρασύβουλος (Thrasúboulos)
• Κλεόβουλος (Kleóboulos)
• Κριτόβουλος (Kritóboulos)

Further reading

• “βουλή”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βουλή”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “βουλή”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• βουλή 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
• βουλή in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• βουλή in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2026)
• G1012 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • advice idem, page 15.
  • council idem, page 176.
  • counsel idem, page 176.
  • decision idem, page 201.
  • design idem, page 215.
  • determination idem, page 219.
  • parliament idem, page 593.
  • plan idem, page 617.
  • precept idem, page 634.
  • proposal idem, page 653.
  • resolve idem, page 702.
  • scheme idem, page 739.
  • senate idem, page 751.
  • suggestion idem, page 836.
  • warning idem, page 964.

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βουλή (boulḗ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vuˈli/
• Hyphenation: βου‧λή

Noun

βουλή • (voulí) f (plural βουλές)

1. (government, politics) parliament, legislative body, house of elected representatives
2. Congress

   Synonyms: γερουσία (gerousía), κοινοβούλιο (koinovoúlio), σύγκλητος (sýgklitos)

3. (chiefly in the plural) will, ruling, decision, verdict, judgment, counsel, decree

   Synonyms: απόφαση (apófasi), γνώμη (gnómi), θέληση (thélisi), κρίση (krísi), συμβουλή (symvoulí)

   οι βουλές του Θεού ― oi voulés tou Theoú ― the will of God

Declension

Declension of βουλή

	singular	plural
nominative	βουλή (voulí)	βουλές (voulés)
genitive	βουλής (voulís)	βουλών (voulón)
accusative	βουλή (voulí)	βουλές (voulés)
vocative	βουλή (voulí)	βουλές (voulés)

Related terms

• αντικοινοβουλευτικός (antikoinovouleftikós, “antiparliamentary”, adjective)
• αντικοινοβουλευτισμός m (antikoinovouleftismós, “antiparliamentarianism”)
• βούλευμα n (voúlevma, “parliamentary bill”)
• βουλευτήριο n (vouleftírio, “parliamentary chamber”)
• βουλευτής m or f (vouleftís, “member of parliament”)
• βουλευτικός (vouleftikós, “parliamentary”, adjective)
• βουλευτιλίκι n (vouleftilíki, “member's term in office”)
• βουλευτίνα f (vouleftína, “member of parliament”)
• Βουλή f (Voulí, “the Parliament”)
• κοινοβουλευτικός (koinovouleftikós, “parliamentary”)
• κοινοβούλιο (koinovoúlio, “parliament”)

Further reading

• Βουλή των Ελλήνων on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el
• βουλή, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language