ἐπιστήμη

See also: επιστήμη

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ἐπῐ́σταμαι (epĭ́stamai, “to have knowledge”) +‎ -η (-ē).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /e.pis.tɛ̌ː.mɛː/ → /e.pisˈti.mi/ → /e.pisˈti.mi/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /e.pis.tɛ̌ː.mɛː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /e.pisˈte̝.me̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /e.pisˈti.mi/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /e.pisˈti.mi/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /e.pisˈti.mi/

Noun

ἐπιστήμη • (epistḗmē) f (genitive ἐπῐστήμης); first declension (Attic, Ionic)

1. understanding of or acquaintance with a skill
2. profession; discipline (professional skill)
3. knowledge (in general)
   • 375 BCE, Plato, The Republic 477b:

     οὐκοῦν ἐπιστήμη μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ ὄντι πέφυκε, γνῶναι ὡς ἔστι τὸ ὄν;

     oukoûn epistḗmē mèn epì tōî ónti péphuke, gnônai hōs ésti tò ón?

     So whereas knowledge is by its nature directed at what is, at knowing how things are . . .

4. science
   • (Can we date this quote?), Plethon, “δʹ. Ἐς θεοὺς τοὺς λογίους εὐχή. [d’. Es theoùs toùs logíous eukhḗ., CHAPTER 4. Prayer to the Gods of Learning]”, in ΝΟΜΩΝ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΗ. [BOOK OF LAWS]‎^[1], translation of original by John Opsopaus, PhD:

     Ἄγετε δή, ὦ θεοὶ λόγιοι, οἵτινές τε καὶ ὅσοι ἐστὲ, οἳ ἐπιστήμας τε καὶ δόξας ἀληθεῖς ἐπιτροπεύετε, νέμετέ τε οἷςπερ ἂν ἐθέλητε κατὰ τοῦ μεγάλου πατρὸς τῶν τε πάντων βασιλέως Διὸς βουλάς.

     Ágete dḗ, ô theoì lógioi, hoítinés te kaì hósoi estè, hoì epistḗmas te kaì dóxas alētheîs epitropeúete, németé te hoîsper àn ethélēte katà toû megálou patròs tôn te pántōn basiléōs Diòs boulás.

     Come to us, O gods of learning, whoever you may be, in whatever number you may be, you who preside over science and the truth, who distribute them to whomever you please, according to the decrees of the almighty father of all things, King Zeus.

   • 460 BCE – 370 BCE, Hippocrates of Kos, The Law 4:

     δύο γάρ, ἐπιστήμη τε καὶ δόξα, ὧν τὸ μὲν ἐπίστασθαι ποιέει, τὸ δὲ ἀγνοεῖν· ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐπιστήμη ποιέει τὸ ἐπίστασθαι, ἡ δὲ δόξα τὸ ἀγνοεῖν.

     dúo gár, epistḗmē te kaì dóxa, hôn tò mèn epístasthai poiéei, tò dè agnoeîn; hē mèn oûn epistḗmē poiéei tò epístasthai, hē dè dóxa tò agnoeîn.

     There are two kinds of knowledge: science and opinion, the former produces understanding, the latter ignorance; it is science that gives understanding, whereas opinion results in ignorance.

Declension

First declension of ἡ ἐπῐστήμη; τῆς ἐπῐστήμης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ἐπῐστήμη hē epĭstḗmē	τὼ ἐπῐστήμᾱ tṑ epĭstḗmā	αἱ ἐπῐστῆμαι hai epĭstêmai
Genitive	τῆς ἐπῐστήμης tês epĭstḗmēs	τοῖν ἐπῐστήμαιν toîn epĭstḗmain	τῶν ἐπῐστημῶν tôn epĭstēmôn
Dative	τῇ ἐπῐστήμῃ tēî epĭstḗmēi	τοῖν ἐπῐστήμαιν toîn epĭstḗmain	ταῖς ἐπῐστήμαις taîs epĭstḗmais
Accusative	τὴν ἐπῐστήμην tḕn epĭstḗmēn	τὼ ἐπῐστήμᾱ tṑ epĭstḗmā	τᾱ̀ς ἐπῐστήμᾱς tā̀s epĭstḗmās
Vocative	ἐπῐστήμη epĭstḗmē	ἐπῐστήμᾱ epĭstḗmā	ἐπῐστῆμαι epĭstêmai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First declension of ἡ ἐπῐστήμη; τῆς ἐπῐστήμης (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ἐπῐστήμη hē epĭstḗmē	τὼ ἐπῐστήμᾱ tṑ epĭstḗmā	αἱ ἐπῐστῆμαι hai epĭstêmai
Genitive	τῆς ἐπῐστήμης tês epĭstḗmēs	τοῖν ἐπῐστήμαιν toîn epĭstḗmain	τῶν ἐπῐστημέων / ἐπῐστημῶν tôn epĭstēméōn / epĭstēmôn
Dative	τῇ ἐπῐστήμῃ tēî epĭstḗmēi	τοῖν ἐπῐστήμαιν toîn epĭstḗmain	τῇσῐ / τῇσῐν ἐπῐστήμῃσῐ / ἐπῐστήμῃσῐν tēîsĭ(n) epĭstḗmēisĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν ἐπῐστήμην tḕn epĭstḗmēn	τὼ ἐπῐστήμᾱ tṑ epĭstḗmā	τᾱ̀ς ἐπῐστήμᾱς tā̀s epĭstḗmās
Vocative	ἐπῐστήμη epĭstḗmē	ἐπῐστήμᾱ epĭstḗmā	ἐπῐστῆμαι epĭstêmai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Descendants

• Greek: επιστήμη f (epistími)
• → English: episteme (learned)
• → Translingual: Episteme

Further reading

• “ἐπιστήμη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ἐπιστήμη in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἐπιστήμη in Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Max Sengebusch, editor, Handwörterbuch der griechischen Sprache‎^[2] (in German), 3rd edition, Braunschweig: Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn
• “ἐπιστήμη”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[3], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • acquaintance idem, page 8.
  • experience idem, page 294.
  • familiarity idem, page 305.
  • information idem, page 439.
  • knowledge idem, page 472.
  • learning idem, page 483.
  • lore idem, page 500.
  • proficiency idem, page 653.
  • science idem, page 739.
  • theory idem, page 865.
  • understanding idem, page 913.
• Catriona Hanley (2001), Being and God in Aristotle and Heidegger: The Role of Method in Thinking the Infinite, page 4: “"Ἐπιστήμη" comes from the composition of "επ-ἰσταμαι", formed from "επἰ", which means "upon"; plus the middle passive "ἵσταμαι", which means "to be set", or "to stand". "Ἐπιστήμη" then is the sort of knowledge that we can build upon, that which we set or stand other knowledge upon.”
• ἐπιστήμη, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011