ἴφθιμος

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Ancient Greek

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Etymology

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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

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Adjective

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ἴφθῑμος (íphthīmosm (feminine ἰφθῑ́μη, neuter ἴφθῑμον); first/second declension or
ἴφθῑμος (íphthīmosm or f (neuter ἴφθῑμον); second declension

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

Usage notes

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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

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With feminine in -η

With feminine in -ος

Derived terms

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References

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

Further reading

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