ἴφθιμος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Probably Pre-Greek. Beekes rejects various previously suggested connections to ἴς (ís, “force”), φθάνω (phthánō, “to come first”), Sanskrit क्षयति (kṣayati, “to overpower”) and τιμή (timḗ, “honour”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ípʰ.tʰiː.mos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈipʰ.tʰi.mos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈiɸ.θi.mos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈif.θi.mos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈif.θi.mos/

Adjective

ἴφθῑμος • (íphthīmos) m (feminine ἰφθῑ́μη, neuter ἴφθῑμον); first/second declension or
ἴφθῑμος • (íphthīmos) m or f (neuter ἴφθῑμον); second declension

(chiefly Epic) vague epithet of humans, gods, animals, nature: strong, stalwart, or possibly also noble, beautiful, loyal, great^[1]^[2]

Usage notes

As with many Homeric epithets, this word may not always have a specific or literal meaning in all cases. The lack of any Indo-European etymology adds to the fuzziness. Although it is often used as an epithet for mighty heroes, its frequent use for female humans suggests that its meaning is not exclusively that of heroic strength. In the following example it is clear that some positive moral quality is intended:

800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.415:

μὴ ...ἐξ ὕπνου γοόωσα φίλους οἰκῆας ἐγείρῃ κουρίδιον ποθέουσα πόσιν ... ἰφθίμη ἄλοχος

mḕ ...ex húpnou goóōsa phílous oikêas egeírēi kourídion pothéousa pósin ... iphthímē álokhos

Translation by Benjamin Crowell
lest the [loyal?] wife of Diomede wake the servants with weeping for her husband

But other usages can only be physical. In Odyssey 10.106, Odysseus's men meet a girl who is described as ἰφθίμη:

800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 10.106:

κούρῃ δὲ ξύμβληντο πρὸ ἄστεος ὑδρευούσῃ, θυγατέρ᾽ ἰφθίμῃ Λαιστρυγόνος Ἀντιφάταο.

Translation by Benjamin Crowell
They met a girl carrying water to town, the [strong?] daughter of the Laestrygonian Antiphates.

The meaning here cannot be anything to do with moral nobility, since the girl's mother turns out to be a giant ogress, and her family eat one of the men.

Declension

With feminine in -η

First and second declension of ἴφθῑμος; ἰφθῑ́μη; ἴφθῑμον (Epic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ἴφθῑμος íphthīmos	ἰφθῑ́μη iphthī́mē	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μᾱ iphthī́mā	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἴφθῑμοι íphthīmoi	ἴφθῑμαι íphthīmai	ἴφθῑμᾰ íphthīma
Genitive	ἰφθῑ́μου / ἰφθῑμοῖο / ἰφθῑ́μοιο / ἰφθῑμόο / ἰφθῑ́μοο iphthī́mou / iphthīmoîo / iphthī́moio / iphthīmóo / iphthī́moo	ἰφθῑ́μης iphthī́mēs	ἰφθῑ́μου / ἰφθῑμοῖο / ἰφθῑ́μοιο / ἰφθῑμόο / ἰφθῑ́μοο iphthī́mou / iphthīmoîo / iphthī́moio / iphthīmóo / iphthī́moo	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μαιν / ἰφθῑ́μαιῐν / ἰφθῑ́μῃῐν iphthī́mai(i)n / iphthī́mēiin	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μων iphthī́mōn	ἰφθῑμᾱ́ων / ἰφθῑμέ͜ων / ἰφθῑμῶν iphthīmā́ōn / iphthīmé͜ōn / iphthīmôn	ἰφθῑ́μων iphthī́mōn
Dative	ἰφθῑ́μῳ iphthī́mōi	ἰφθῑ́μῃ iphthī́mēi	ἰφθῑ́μῳ iphthī́mōi	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μαιν / ἰφθῑ́μαιῐν / ἰφθῑ́μῃῐν iphthī́mai(i)n / iphthī́mēiin	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μοισῐ / ἰφθῑ́μοισῐν / ἰφθῑ́μοις iphthī́moisi(n) / iphthī́mois	ἰφθῑ́μῃσῐ / ἰφθῑ́μῃσῐν / ἰφθῑ́μῃς / ἰφθῑ́μαις iphthī́mēisi(n) / iphthī́mēis / iphthī́mais	ἰφθῑ́μοισῐ / ἰφθῑ́μοισῐν / ἰφθῑ́μοις iphthī́moisi(n) / iphthī́mois
Accusative	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μην iphthī́mēn	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μᾱ iphthī́mā	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μους iphthī́mous	ἰφθῑ́μᾱς iphthī́mās	ἴφθῑμᾰ íphthīma
Vocative	ἴφθῑμε íphthīme	ἰφθῑ́μη iphthī́mē	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μᾱ iphthī́mā	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἴφθῑμοι íphthīmoi	ἴφθῑμαι íphthīmai	ἴφθῑμᾰ íphthīma
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ἰφθῑ́μως iphthī́mōs			ἰφθῑμότερος iphthīmóteros			ἰφθῑμότᾰτος iphthīmótatos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

With feminine in -ος

Second declension of ἴφθῑμος; ἴφθῑμον (Epic)

Number	Singular		Dual		Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ἴφθῑμος íphthīmos	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἴφθῑμοι íphthīmoi	ἴφθῑμᾰ íphthīma
Genitive	ἰφθῑ́μου / ἰφθῑμοῖο / ἰφθῑ́μοιο / ἰφθῑμόο / ἰφθῑ́μοο iphthī́mou / iphthīmoîo / iphthī́moio / iphthīmóo / iphthī́moo	ἰφθῑ́μου / ἰφθῑμοῖο / ἰφθῑ́μοιο / ἰφθῑμόο / ἰφθῑ́μοο iphthī́mou / iphthīmoîo / iphthī́moio / iphthīmóo / iphthī́moo	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μων iphthī́mōn	ἰφθῑ́μων iphthī́mōn
Dative	ἰφθῑ́μῳ iphthī́mōi	ἰφθῑ́μῳ iphthī́mōi	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μοιῐν iphthī́moiin	ἰφθῑ́μοισῐ / ἰφθῑ́μοισῐν / ἰφθῑ́μοις iphthī́moisi(n) / iphthī́mois	ἰφθῑ́μοισῐ / ἰφθῑ́μοισῐν / ἰφθῑ́μοις iphthī́moisi(n) / iphthī́mois
Accusative	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μους iphthī́mous	ἴφθῑμᾰ íphthīma
Vocative	ἴφθῑμε íphthīme	ἴφθῑμον íphthīmon	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἰφθῑ́μω iphthī́mō	ἴφθῑμοι íphthīmoi	ἴφθῑμᾰ íphthīma
Derived forms	Adverb		Comparative		Superlative
Derived forms	ἰφθῑ́μως iphthī́mōs		ἰφθῑμότερος iphthīmóteros		ἰφθῑμότᾰτος iphthīmótatos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

Ἰφθῑ́μη (Iphthī́mē)

References

^ Cunliffe, A lexicon of the Homeric dialect
^ Beekes, Etymological dictionary of Greek