ὅστις

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ὅς (hós, “who, which”, relative pronoun) +‎ τῐς (tĭs, “someone, anyone”, indefinite pronoun).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hós.tis/ → /ˈos.tis/ → /ˈos.tis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hós.tis/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)os.tis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈos.tis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈos.tis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈos.tis/

Pronoun

ὅστῐς • (hóstĭs)

1. indefinite relative pronoun: whoever, whichever; anyone who, anything which; someone who, something which
2. indirect interrogative pronoun corresponding to direct interrogative τίς (tís), τί (tí): who, what, which
   1. replaces τίς (tís), τί (tí) when someone repeats a question asked by another person
      • 405 BCE, Aristophanes, The Frogs 197–198:

        Χάρων   […] οὗτος τί ποιεῖς;
        Διόνυσος   ὅ τι ποιῶ;

        Khárōn   […] hoûtos tí poieîs?
        Diónusos   hó ti poiô?

        Charon: This man, what are you doing?
        Dionysus: What am I doing?

Declension

Irregular declension of ὅστῐς; ἥτῐς; ὅ τῐ / ὅ⸒τι / ὅτῐ (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ὅστῐς hóstĭs	ἥτῐς hḗtĭs	ὅ τῐ ὅ⸒τι ὅτῐ hó tĭ hó⸒ti hótĭ		ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne	ᾱ̔́τῐνε hā́tĭne	ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne		οἵτῐνες hoítĭnes	αἵτῐνες haítĭnes	ᾰ̔́τῐνᾰ ᾰ̔́ττᾰ hắtĭnă hắttă
Genitive		οὗτῐνος ὅτου hoûtĭnos hótou	ἧστῐνος hêstĭnos	οὗτῐνος ὅτου hoûtĭnos hótou		οἷντῐνοιν hoîntĭnoin	αἷντῐνοιν haîntĭnoin	οἷντῐνοιν hoîntĭnoin		ὧντῐνων ὅτων hôntĭnōn hótōn	ὧντῐνων ὅτων hôntĭnōn hótōn	ὧντῐνων ὅτων hôntĭnōn hótōn
Dative		ᾧτῐνῐ ὅτῳ hōîtĭnĭ hótōi	ᾗτῐνῐ hēîtĭnĭ	ᾧτῐνῐ ὅτῳ hōîtĭnĭ hótōi		οἷντῐνοιν hoîntĭnoin	αἷντῐνοιν haîntĭnoin	οἷντῐνοιν hoîntĭnoin		οἷστῐσῐ οἷστῐσῐν ὅτοις hoîstĭsĭ(n) hótois	αἷστῐσῐ αἷστῐσῐν haîstĭsĭ(n)	οἷστῐσῐ οἷστῐσῐν ὅτοις hoîstĭsĭ(n) hótois
Accusative		ὅντῐνᾰ hóntĭnă	ἥντῐνᾰ hḗntĭnă	ὅ τῐ ὅ⸒τι ὅτῐ hó tĭ hó⸒ti hótĭ		ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne	ᾱ̔́τῐνε hā́tĭne	ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne		οὕστῐνᾰς hoústĭnăs	ᾱ̔́στῐνᾰς hā́stĭnăs	ᾰ̔́τῐνᾰ ᾰ̔́ττᾰ hắtĭnă hắttă
Vocative		—	—	—		—	—	—		—	—	—
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Irregular declension of ὅτῐς / ὅστῐς; ἥτῐς; ὅ ττῐ / ὅ⸒ττι / ὅττῐ / ὅ τῐ / ὅ⸒τι / ὅτῐ (Epic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ὅτῐς ὅστῐς hótĭs hóstĭs	ἥτῐς hḗtĭs	ὅ ττῐ ὅ⸒ττι ὅττῐ ὅ τῐ ὅ⸒τι ὅτῐ hó ttĭ hó⸒tti hóttĭ hó tĭ hó⸒ti hótĭ		ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne	ᾱ̔́τῐνε hā́tĭne	ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne		οἵτῐνες hoítĭnes	αἵτῐνες haítĭnes	ὅτῐνᾰ ᾰ̔́σσᾰ hótĭnă hắssă
Genitive		ὅττεο ὅττευ ὅτεο ὅτευ hótteo hótteu hóteo hóteu	ἧστῐνος hêstĭnos	ὅττεο ὅττευ ὅτεο ὅτευ hótteo hótteu hóteo hóteu		οἱντέοιῐ̈ν οἱντῐ́νοιῐ̈ν hointéoiĭ̈n hointĭ́noiĭ̈n	αἱντέοιῐ̈ν αἱντῐ́νοιῐ̈ν haintéoiĭ̈n haintĭ́noiĭ̈n	οἱντέοιῐ̈ν οἱντῐ́νοιῐ̈ν hointéoiĭ̈n hointĭ́noiĭ̈n		ὅτεων hóteōn	ὅτεων hóteōn	ὅτεων hóteōn
Dative		ὅτεῳ ὅτῳ ᾧτῐνῐ hóteōi hótōi hōîtĭnĭ	ᾗτῐνῐ hēîtĭnĭ	ὅτεῳ ὅτῳ ᾧτῐνῐ hóteōi hótōi hōîtĭnĭ		οἱντέοιῐ̈ν οἱντῐ́νοιῐ̈ν hointéoiĭ̈n hointĭ́noiĭ̈n	αἱντέοιῐ̈ν αἱντῐ́νοιῐ̈ν haintéoiĭ̈n haintĭ́noiĭ̈n	οἱντέοιῐ̈ν οἱντῐ́νοιῐ̈ν hointéoiĭ̈n hointĭ́noiĭ̈n		ὁτέοισῐ ὁτέοισῐν hotéoisĭ(n)	αἷστῐσῐ αἷστῐσῐν haîstĭsĭ(n)	ὁτέοισῐ ὁτέοισῐν hotéoisĭ(n)
Accusative		ὅτινᾰ ὅντῐνᾰ hótină hóntĭnă	ἥντῐνᾰ hḗntĭnă	ὅ ττῐ ὅ⸒ττι ὅττῐ ὅ τῐ ὅ⸒τι ὅτῐ hó ttĭ hó⸒tti hóttĭ hó tĭ hó⸒ti hótĭ		ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne	ᾱ̔́τῐνε hā́tĭne	ὥτῐνε hṓtĭne		ὅτινᾰς hótinăs	ᾱ̔́στῐνᾰς hā́stĭnăs	ὅτῐνᾰ ᾰ̔́σσᾰ hótĭnă hắssă
Vocative		—	—	—		—	—	—		—	—	—
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• κᾰθ’ ὅ τῐ (kăth’ hó tĭ)
• κᾰθ’ ὅ τῐ ᾰ̓́ν (kăth’ hó tĭ ắn)
• κᾰθότῐ (kăthótĭ)
• κᾰθότῐ ᾰ̓́ν (kăthótĭ ắn)
• μεθόστῐς (methóstĭs)
• μηδοστῐσοῦν (mēdostĭsoûn)
• οἷός τῐς (hoîós tĭs)
• οἱοστῐσοῦν (hoiostĭsoûn)
• ὁποῖός τῐς (hopoîós tĭs)
• ὁποιοστῐσοῦν (hopoiostĭsoûn)
• ὁποσοστῐσοῦν (hoposostĭsoûn)
• ὁπότερός τῐς (hopóterós tĭs)
• ὅσος τῐς (hósos tĭs)
• ὁστῐσδή (hostĭsdḗ)
• ὁστῐσδήποτε (hostĭsdḗpote)
• ὁστῐσδηποτοῦν (hostĭsdēpotoûn)
• ὁστῐσδήτῐς (hostĭsdḗtĭs)
• ὁστῐσοῦν (hostĭsoûn)
• ὅτῐ (hótĭ)
• ὅττῐ (hóttĭ)
• οὐδοστῐσοῦν (oudostĭsoûn)

See also

Ancient Greek correlatives ^(edit)

type	interrogative	indefinite	demonstrative			relative	indefinite relative	identity	other
			(medial)	proximal	distal
basic	τίς	τις, ἔνιοι	†ὁ, οὗτος	ὅδε	ἐκεῖνος	ὅς	ὅστις	ὁ αὐτός (αὑτός), ὁμός	ἕτερος, ἄλλος
dual	πότερος	πότερος, ποτερός				ὁπότερος
quality	ποῖος	ποιός	†τοῖος, τοιοῦτος	τοιόσδε		οἷος	ὁποῖος	ὅμοιος	ἑτεροῖος, ἀλλοῖος
quantity	πόσος	ποσός	†τόσος, τοσοῦτος	τοσόσδε		ὅσος	ὁπόσος
manner	πῶς	πως	†τώς, †ὥς, οὕτως	ὧδε		ὡς	ὅπως	ὁμῶς	ἑτέρως, ἄλλως
method, path, place	πῇ	πῃ	τῇ, ταύτῃ	τῇδε	ἐκείνῃ	ᾗ	ὅπῃ		ἄλλῃ
place	ποῦ, †πόθι	που, †ποθι	ἐνταῦθα	ἐνθάδε	ἐκεῖ, ἔνθα, †ἐκεῖθι	οὗ, ἔνθα, †ὅθι	ὅπου, †ὁπόθι	αὐτόθι, ὁμοῦ	ἄλλοθι
source	πόθεν	ποθεν, ἁμόθεν	†τόθεν, ἔνθεν, ἐντεῦθεν	ἐνθένδε	ἐκεῖθεν	ὅθεν	ὁπόθεν	†ὁμόθεν	ἄλλοθεν
destination	ποῖ, †πόσε	ποι	ἔνθα, ἐνταῦθα	ἐνθάδε, δεῦρο	ἐκεῖσε	οἷ	ὅποι, †ὁπόσε	αὐτόσε, ὁμόσε	ἄλλοσε
time	πότε, πῆμος	ποτέ, ποτε, τοτέ, ἐνίοτε	τότε, τῆμος	τημόσδε		ὅτε, ἦμος	ὁπότε, †ὁππῆμος	ἅμα	ἄλλοτε
exact time	πηνίκα		†τηνίκα, τηνικαῦτα	τηνικάδε		ἡνίκα	ὁπηνίκα	αὐτίκα
duration of time			τέως			ἕως
size, age	πηλίκος	πηλίκος	†τηλίκος, τηλικοῦτος	τηλικόσδε		ἡλίκος	ὁπηλίκος	ὁμῆλιξ
repetition	ποσάκις, ποσίνδα	ποσάκις	τουτάκις, τοσάκις			†ὁσάκις ὁποσάκις	ὁποσάκις
multiplication	ποσαπλάσιος					ὁσαπλάσιος, ὁσαπλασίων
order	πόστος	ποστός					ὁπόστος
† Forms rarely or never used in Classical Attic prose Relative also used in exclamations; either relative or indefinite relative used in indirect questions.

Further reading

• “ὅστις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ὅστις”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ὅστις”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• “ὅστις”, in Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G3748 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.
  • adopted idem, page 13.
  • else idem, page 265.
  • which idem, page 976.
  • whichever, whichsoever idem, page 976.
  • who idem, page 977.
  • whoever idem, page 977.
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001), A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920), “Part II: Inflection”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 339