ψοφάω
Greek
Alternative forms
- ψοφώ (psofó)
Etymology
From Ancient Greek φοφέω (phophéō) / ψοφῶ (psophô, “to make loud noise; Koine Greek sense: die -of an animal-”), from ψόφος (psóphos, “loud noise”). From the noise made by someone literally dropping dead.[1]
Pronunciation
Verb
ψοφάω, ψοφώ • (psofáo, psofó) (past ψόφησα, passive —)
- (intransitive) die (of an animal)
- Τα πρόβατα ψόφησαν από το κρύο. ― Ta próvata psófisan apó to krýo. ― The sheep died from the cold.
- (intransitive, derogatory) die (of a person, see below)
- Έχει ψοφήσει ακόμα ο παλιόγερος; ― Échei psofísei akóma o paliógeros? ― Has that old bastard died yet?
- (intransitive, figuratively) to be worn out, to die (of the cold, etc)
- Έχω ψοφήσει από τη δουλειά. ― Écho psofísei apó ti douleiá. ― Work has killed me.
- (intransitive, figuratively) to have a strong desire for, to have a thirst for (of the cold, etc)
- Η αδερφή μου ψοφάει για κουτσομπολιό. ― I aderfí mou psofáei gia koutsompolió. ― My sister is crazy about gossip.
- (transitive) to kill (an animal)
- Ψόφησε το σκυλί της από την πείνα. ― Psófise to skylí tis apó tin peína. ― She killed her dog with hunger (by not feeding it).
- (transitive, figuratively) to wear out, exhaust
- Μας έχει ψοφήσει στις πρόβες, μέχρι να μάθουμε ολόκληρο το κομμάτι. ― Mas échei psofísei stis próves, méchri na máthoume olókliro to kommáti. ― He's exhausting us with practice, until we learn the entire piece.
Usage notes
When used of a person instead of an animal, it is quite dysphemistic and carries the implication that either:
- the person was horrible, undesirable or bad and deserved it, or
- they died in an unseemly or ungraceful manner.
Conjugation
Template:el-conjug-2nd-A-άω-ώ-act
Synonyms
- πεθαίνω (pethaíno) (a person)
- ξεραίνομαι (xeraínomai) (a plant)
- ξεψυχώ (xepsychó) (euphemistic)
- σβήνω (svíno) (euphemistic)
Related terms
- άψοφος (ápsofos, “hard to die”), αψόφητος (apsófitos), αψόφιστος (apsófistos)
- ψοφίμι n (psofími, “carcass”)
- ψοφοδεής (psofodeḯs, “easily frightened”)
- ψοφόκρυο n (psofókryo, “extreme cold”)
- ψόφος m (psófos, “death; extreme cold”)
- ψοφώδης (psofódis, “noisy”) (formal, archaic)
References
- ^ ψοφάω, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language