ἀληθής

See also: αληθής

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀλᾱθάς (alāthás) — Doric

Etymology

From ἀ- (a-, “un-”) +‎ *λῆθος (*lêthos, “*concealment”) +‎ -ής (-ḗs). *λῆθος (*lêthos) is the neuter σ-stem abstract noun to the root of λανθάνω (lanthánō, “I am hidden”), the existence of which is warranted by its Doric variant λᾶθος (lâthos). While λᾶθος (lâthos) is only attested as a synonym of λήθη (lḗthē, “oblivion”), it is probable that for the formation of ἀληθής (alēthḗs) the original meaning "concealment" was used, continuing the meaning of the root; thus the original (but unattested) meaning of the adjective was "uncovered", "unconcealed".

Adjective

ᾰ̓ληθής • (ălēthḗs) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓ληθές); third declension

1. (of things) true, real, genuine
2. (of people) truthful, honest
   • c. 385 BCE, Plato, Symposium 217e:

     οἶνος […] ἦν ἀληθής

     oînos […] ên alēthḗs

     Wine is truthful. (in vino veritas)

Declension

Third declension of ᾰ̓ληθής; ᾰ̓ληθές (contracted, Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓ληθής ălēthḗs		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê
Genitive		ᾰ̓ληθοῦς ălēthoûs		ᾰ̓ληθοῦς ălēthoûs		ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn		ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn		ᾰ̓ληθῶν ălēthôn		ᾰ̓ληθῶν ălēthôn
Dative		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn		ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn		ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ălēthésĭ(n)		ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ălēthésĭ(n)
Accusative		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê
Vocative		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ᾰ̓ληθῶς ălēthôs				ᾰ̓ληθέστερος ălēthésteros				ᾰ̓ληθέστᾰτος ălēthéstătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ᾰ̓ληθής; ᾰ̓ληθές (uncontracted, Epic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓ληθής ălēthḗs		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέες ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălēthées ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă
Genitive		ᾰ̓ληθέος ᾰ̓ληθεῦς ălēthéos ălētheûs		ᾰ̓ληθέος ᾰ̓ληθεῦς ălēthéos ălētheûs		ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n		ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n		ᾰ̓ληθέων ălēthéōn		ᾰ̓ληθέων ălēthéōn
Dative		ᾰ̓ληθέῐ̈ ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthéĭ̈ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέῐ̈ ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthéĭ̈ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n		ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n		ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐν ălēthésĭ(n) ălēthéssĭ(n) ălēthéessĭ(n)		ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐν ălēthésĭ(n) ălēthéssĭ(n) ălēthéessĭ(n)
Accusative		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰς ălēthéăs		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă
Vocative		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέες ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălēthées ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ᾰ̓ληθέως ălēthéōs				ᾰ̓ληθέστερος ălēthésteros				ᾰ̓ληθέστᾰτος ălēthéstătos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Antonyms

• ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, untrue; deceived, misled”)
• ψυδρός (psudrós, “false, untrue; lying, deceitful”)

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓λήθεια (ălḗtheia)
• ᾰ̓ληθῶς (ălēthôs, adverb)

Descendants

• Greek: αληθής (alithís), αληθινός (alithinós)

Further reading

• “ἀληθής”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀληθής”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀληθής”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀληθής in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀληθής in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἀληθής in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2026)
• G227 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.
  • accurate idem, page 7.
  • actual idem, page 10.
  • authentic idem, page 53.
  • correct idem, page 174.
  • right idem, page 714.
  • true idem, page 898.
  • truthful idem, page 899.
  • veracious idem, page 948.