Θεύθ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Borrowed from Egyptian ḏḥwtj (“Thoth”). Doublet of Θωΰθ (Thōǘth).

Proper noun

Θεύθ • (Theúth) m (indeclinable)

1. Theuth, an Egyptian god, or godlike human, who reportedly discovered many sciences and invented the writing.
   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Philebus 18b:

     ἐπειδὴ φωνὴν ἄπειρον κατενόησεν εἴτε τις θεὸς εἴτε καὶ θεῖος ἄνθρωπος ὡς λόγος ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ Θεύθ τινα τοῦτον γενέσθαι λέγων

     epeidḕ phōnḕn ápeiron katenóēsen eíte tis theòs eíte kaì theîos ánthrōpos hōs lógos en Aigúptōi Theúth tina toûton genésthai légōn

   • 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedrus 274c–d:

     αὐτῷ δὲ ὄνομα τῷ δαίμονι εἶναι Θεύθ. τοῦτον δὴ πρῶτον ἀριθμόν τε καὶ λογισμὸν εὑρεῖν καὶ γεωμετρίαν καὶ ἀστρονομίαν, ἔτι δὲ πεττείας τε καὶ κυβείας, καὶ δὴ καὶ γράμματα.

     autôi dè ónoma tôi daímoni eînai Theúth. toûton dḕ prôton arithmón te kaì logismòn heureîn kaì geōmetrían kaì astronomían, éti dè petteías te kaì kubeías, kaì dḕ kaì grámmata.

References

• Θεύθ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette