μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Literally, “one swallow does not make a spring”. A remark found in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (1098a18: “one swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy”), itself inspired by the fable The Young Man and the Swallow by Aesop.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mí.a kʰe.liː.dɔ̀ːn é.ar uː poi̯.êː/ → /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/ → /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u piˈi/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mí.a kʰe.liː.dɔ̀ːn é.ar uː poi̯.êː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.a kʰe.liˈdon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u piˈi/

Proverb

μίᾰ χελῑδὼν ἔᾰρ οὐ ποιεῖ • (mía khelīdṑn éar ou poieî)

1. one swallow does not a summer make

Descendants

• Greek: ένα χελιδόνι δεν φέρνει την άνοιξη (éna chelidóni den férnei tin ánoixi)
• → Dutch: een zwaluw maakt nog geen zomer (calque)
• → English: one swallow does not a summer make (calque) (see there for further translations)
  • → Chinese: 一燕不成夏 (yīyànbùchéngxià) (calque)
  • → Korean: 한 마리의 제비가 왔다고 봄이 온 것은 아니다 (han mariui jebiga watdago bomi on geoseun anida) (calque)
• → French: une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps (calque)
• → German: eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer (calque)
• → Italian: una rondine non fa primavera (calque)
• → Polish: jedna jaskółka wiosny nie czyni (calque)
• → Portuguese: uma andorinha só não faz verão (calque)
• → Russian: пе́рвая ла́сточка весны́ не де́лает (pérvaja lástočka vesný ne délajet) (calque)
• → Spanish: una golondrina no hace verano (calque)