ἀφύη

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ (ăphŭ́ā) — Doric

Etymology

A derivation from ᾰ̓- (ă-, “un-”) +‎ φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō, “to grow”) seems folk-etymological, but is defended by Meier-Brügger, suggesting Proto-Indo-European *n̥-bʰúH-o- (“without growth”), which is a recent formation compared with Sanskrit अभ्व (abhva, “monster”). However, DELG keeps open the possibility of a substrate word.

The irregular genitive plural ᾰ̓φῠ́ων (ăphŭ́ōn) is due to the influence of third-declension ᾰ̓φῠής (ăphŭḗs, “germinating late”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.pʰý.ɛː/ → /aˈɸy.i/ → /aˈfi.i/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.pʰý.ɛː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈpʰy.e̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈɸy.i/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈfy.i/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈfi.i/

Noun

ᾰ̓φῠ́η • (ăphŭ́ē) f (genitive ᾰ̓φῠ́ης); first declension

1. a small fry of various fish
   • 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes
     • The Acharnians 640
       • 901
       • 902
     • The Birds 76
       • 77
     • The Knights 645
       • 649
       • 666
       • 672
       • 678
     • The Wasps 496
   • 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Moralia
     • How a Man May Become Aware of his Progress in Virtue 83d
     • On Superstition 170d
   • 55 CE – 135 CE, Epictetus, Discourses 3.6
   • 125 CE – 200 CE, Lucian, The Fisherman 48
   • c. 176 CE – 180 CE, Oppian, Halieutica 1.767
     • 1.785
     • 4.469
     • 4.494
     • 4.502

Usage notes

• According to Herodian, only used in the plural in Attic.
• The singular is attested in poetry.
• The genitive plural is chiefly irregular ᾰ̓φῠ́ων (ăphŭ́ōn), but regular ᾰ̓φῠῶν (ăphŭôn) is also attested.

Declension

First declension of ἡ ᾰ̓φῠ́η; τῆς ᾰ̓φῠ́ης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓φῠ́η hē ăphŭ́ē	τὼ ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ tṑ ăphŭ́ā	αἱ ᾰ̓φῠ́αι hai ăphŭ́ai
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓φῠ́ης tês ăphŭ́ēs	τοῖν ᾰ̓φῠ́αιν toîn ăphŭ́ain	τῶν ᾰ̓φῠ́ων / ᾰ̓φῠῶν tôn ăphŭ́ōn / ăphŭôn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓φῠ́ῃ tēî ăphŭ́ēi	τοῖν ᾰ̓φῠ́αιν toîn ăphŭ́ain	ταῖς ᾰ̓φῠ́αις taîs ăphŭ́ais
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓φῠ́ην tḕn ăphŭ́ēn	τὼ ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ tṑ ăphŭ́ā	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱς tā̀s ăphŭ́ās
Vocative	ᾰ̓φῠ́η ăphŭ́ē	ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ ăphŭ́ā	ᾰ̓φῠ́αι ăphŭ́ai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First declension of ᾰ̓φῠ́η; ᾰ̓φῠ́ης (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ᾰ̓φῠ́η ăphŭ́ē	ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ ăphŭ́ā	ᾰ̓φῠ́αι ăphŭ́ai
Genitive	ᾰ̓φῠ́ης ăphŭ́ēs	ᾰ̓φῠ́αιῐ̈ν ăphŭ́aiĭ̈n	ᾰ̓φῠᾱ́ων / ᾰ̓φῠέων ăphŭā́ōn / ăphŭéōn
Dative	ᾰ̓φῠ́ῃ ăphŭ́ēi	ᾰ̓φῠ́αιῐ̈ν ăphŭ́aiĭ̈n	ᾰ̓φῠ́ῃσῐ / ᾰ̓φῠ́ῃσῐν / ᾰ̓φῠ́ῃς ăphŭ́ēisĭ(n) / ăphŭ́ēis
Accusative	ᾰ̓φῠ́ην ăphŭ́ēn	ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ ăphŭ́ā	ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱς ăphŭ́ās
Vocative	ᾰ̓φῠ́η ăphŭ́ē	ᾰ̓φῠ́ᾱ ăphŭ́ā	ᾰ̓φῠ́αι ăphŭ́ai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓φῡ́δῐον (ăphū́dĭon)
• ᾰ̓φῠῐ̈́δῐον (ăphŭĭ̈́dĭon)
• ᾰ̓φῠώδης (ăphŭṓdēs)
• μεμβρᾰφῠ́ᾱ (membrăphŭ́ā)

Descendants

• → Hebrew: עַפְיָן (afyan)
• → Latin: aphyē (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• “ἀφύη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀφύη”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἀφύη in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀφύη in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2026)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἀφύη”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 180