φαιός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The word has been compared with Latvian gaišs (“light, bright”) and reconstructed as *gʷʰaiso- (“bright, shining”). Other reconstructions which have been proposed are *φαιϝός (*phaiwós) and *φαισϝός (*phaiswós). In short, the etymology is still unknown.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pʰai̯.ós/ → /ɸɛˈos/ → /feˈos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰai̯.ós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pʰɛˈos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɸɛˈos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /feˈos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /feˈos/

Adjective

φαιός • (phaiós) m (feminine φαιᾱ́, neuter φαιόν); first/second declension

1. grey, of any colour mixed of black and white

   Synonyms: κιλλός (killós), πολιός (poliós)

2. harsh (of sound)

Inflection

First and second declension of φαιός; φαιᾱ́; φαιόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		φαιός phaiós	φαιᾱ́ phaiā́	φαιόν phaión		φαιώ phaiṓ	φαιᾱ́ phaiā́	φαιώ phaiṓ		φαιοί phaioí	φαιαί phaiaí	φαιᾰ́ phaiá
Genitive		φαιοῦ phaioû	φαιᾶς phaiâs	φαιοῦ phaioû		φαιοῖν phaioîn	φαιαῖν phaiaîn	φαιοῖν phaioîn		φαιῶν phaiôn	φαιῶν phaiôn	φαιῶν phaiôn
Dative		φαιῷ phaiôi	φαιᾷ phaiâi	φαιῷ phaiôi		φαιοῖν phaioîn	φαιαῖν phaiaîn	φαιοῖν phaioîn		φαιοῖς phaioîs	φαιαῖς phaiaîs	φαιοῖς phaioîs
Accusative		φαιόν phaión	φαιᾱ́ν phaiā́n	φαιόν phaión		φαιώ phaiṓ	φαιᾱ́ phaiā́	φαιώ phaiṓ		φαιούς phaioús	φαιᾱ́ς phaiā́s	φαιᾰ́ phaiá
Vocative		φαιέ phaié	φαιᾱ́ phaiā́	φαιόν phaión		φαιώ phaiṓ	φαιᾱ́ phaiā́	φαιώ phaiṓ		φαιοί phaioí	φαιαί phaiaí	φαιᾰ́ phaiá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		φαιῶς phaiôs				φαιότερος phaióteros				φαιότᾰτος phaiótatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• λευκόφαιος (leukóphaios)
• φαιουρός (phaiourós)
• φαιοχίτων (phaiokhítōn)

 

Descendants

• Greek: φαιός (faiós)
• → Translingual: phaeo-

Further reading

• “φαιός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “φαιός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• φαιός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

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Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek φαιός (phaiós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /feˈos/
• Hyphenation: φαι‧ός

Adjective

φαιός • (faiós) m (feminine φαιά, neuter φαιό)

1. (formal, of colours and hues) dull (having no particular luster or brightness)
2. (formal, by extension) grey, ashy (having a color somewhere between white and black)
   • 1982, “Ερωτικό (Με μια πιρόγα) [Love Song (In A Pirogue)]”, in Alkis Alkaios (lyrics), Thanos Mikroutsikos (music), Εμπάργκο [Embargo], performed by Manolis Mitsias:

     Εδώ είναι Αττική, φαιό νταμάρι.

     Edó eínai Attikí, faió ntamári.

     This is Attica, a grey, dull quarry.

Declension

Declension of φαιός

number  case \ gender	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	φαιός •	φαιά •	φαιό •	φαιοί •	φαιές •	φαιά •
genitive	φαιού •	φαιάς •	φαιού •	φαιών •	φαιών •	φαιών •
accusative	φαιό •	φαιά •	φαιό •	φαιούς •	φαιές •	φαιά •
vocative	φαιέ •	φαιά •	φαιό •	φαιοί •	φαιές •	φαιά •
derivations	Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο φαιός, etc.) Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο φαιός, etc.)

Derived terms

• φαιά ουσία f (faiá ousía, “grey matter”)
• φαιοκίτρινος (faiokítrinos, “pale yellow, yellow-grey”)
• φαιοκόκκινος (faiokókkinos, “pale red, red-grey”)
• φαιοπράσινος (faioprásinos, “pale green, green-grey”)
• φαιοχίτων m (faiochíton, “Nazi dressed in grey”)
• φαιόχρωμος (faióchromos, “grey-coloured”)

Synonyms

• (dull): μουντός (mountós)
• (grey, ashy): γκρίζος (gkrízos), γκρι (gkri), σταχτής (stachtís)

Antonyms

• (dull): ανοιχτόχρωμος (anoichtóchromos, “lightly-coloured, light”)