Νεφελοκοκκυγία

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 4 January 2013

Etymology

From νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”) +‎ κόκκῡξ (kókkūx, “cuckoo”) +‎ -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ne.pʰe.lo.kok.kyː.ɡí.aː/ → /ne.ɸe.lo.ko.cyˈʝi.a/ → /ne.fe.lo.ko.ciˈʝi.a/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ne.pʰe.lo.kok.kyː.ɡí.aː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ne.pʰe.lo.kok.kyˈɡi.a/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ne.ɸe.lo.ko.cyˈʝi.a/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.cyˈʝi.a/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.ciˈʝi.a/

Proper noun

Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ • (Nephelokokkūgíā) f (genitive Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς); first declension

1. cloud-cuckoo-land
   • 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 819:

     Πισθέταιρος βούλει Νεφελοκοκκυγίαν?
     Ἔποψ ἰοὺ ἰού: καλόν γ’ ἀτεχνῶς σὺ καὶ μέγ’ ηὗρες τοὔνομα!
     Ἐυελπίδης ἆρ’ ἐστὶν αὑτηγὶ Νεφελοκοκκυγία, ἵνα καὶ τὰ Θεογένους τὰ πολλὰ χρήματα τά τ’ Αἰσχίνου γ’ ἅπαντα?

     Pisthétairos boúlei Nephelokokkugían?
     Épops ioù ioú: kalón g’ atekhnôs sù kaì még’ hēûres toúnoma!
     Euelpídēs âr’ estìn hautēgì Nephelokokkugía, hína kaì tà Theogénous tà pollà khrḗmata tá t’ Aiskhínou g’ hápanta?

     • Translation by Ian Johnston

       Pisthetairos: Well, then, how do you like this: Cloudcuckooland?
       Chorus leader: Yes! That’s good! You’ve come up with a name that’s really wonderful—it’s great!
       Euelpides: Hang on, is this Cloudcuckooland the very spot where Theogenes keeps lots of money, and Aeschines hides all his assets?

Inflection

First declension of ἡ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ; τῆς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ hē Nephelokokkūgíā	τὼ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ tṑ Nephelokokkūgíā	αἱ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αι hai Nephelokokkūgíai
Genitive	τῆς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς tês Nephelokokkūgíās	τοῖν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αιν toîn Nephelokokkūgíain	τῶν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐῶν tôn Nephelokokkūgiôn
Dative	τῇ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾳ têi Nephelokokkūgíāi	τοῖν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αιν toîn Nephelokokkūgíain	ταῖς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αις taîs Nephelokokkūgíais
Accusative	τὴν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱν tḕn Nephelokokkūgíān	τὼ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ tṑ Nephelokokkūgíā	τᾱ̀ς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς tā̀s Nephelokokkūgíās
Vocative	Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ Nephelokokkūgíā	Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ Nephelokokkūgíā	Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αι Nephelokokkūgíai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Related terms

• Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐεύς (Nephelokokkūgieús)

Descendants

• → English: cloud-cuckoo-land (calque); → nephelococcygia
• → German: Wolkenkuckucksheim (calque)
• → Greek: Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía)

References

• “Νεφελοκοκκυγία”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Νεφελοκοκκυγία”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers

Greek

Etymology

Ancient Greek Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ (Nephelokokkūgíā, “cloud-cuckoo-land”), from (νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”) + κόκκῡξ (kókkūx, “cuckoo”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, “country suffix”)). A placename created by Aristophanes, the city of The Birds. In philological texts, referred as Nephelococcygia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.ciˈʝi.a/
• Hyphenation: Νε‧φε‧λε‧κοκ‧κυ‧γί‧α

Proper noun

Νεφελοκοκκυγία • (Nefelokokkygía) f (plural Νεφελοκοκκυγίες)

1. cloud-cuckoo-land, a utopia, imaginary place with unrealistic or silly people.
   • Για τις Νεφελοκοκκυγίες σας έχω / πολλά κι ωραία τραγούδια εγώ συνθέσει

     Gia tis Nefelokokkygíes sas écho / pollá ki oraía tragoúdia egó synthései

     For your Cloudcuckoolands I have composed many and wonderful songs

     Translation (1967) in Modern Greek by Thrasyboulοs Stavrou of Aristophanes, The Birds, verses 917-918 @greek-language.gr

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía)	Νεφελοκοκκυγίες (Nefelokokkygíes)
genitive	Νεφελοκοκκυγίας (Nefelokokkygías)	Νεφελοκοκκυγιών (Nefelokokkygión)
accusative	Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía)	Νεφελοκοκκυγίες (Nefelokokkygíes)
vocative	Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía)	Νεφελοκοκκυγίες (Nefelokokkygíes)

Usually in the singular.

Further reading

• Aristophanes' play 'The Birds' on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el