σαφής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Most likely Pre-Greek. Connections to Latin sapiō can be dismissed based on the fact that ph comes from an aspirated PIE consonant.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /sa.pʰɛ̌ːs/ → /saˈɸis/ → /saˈfis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sa.pʰɛ̌ːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /saˈpʰe̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /saˈɸis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /saˈfis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /saˈfis/

Adjective

σᾰφής • (săphḗs) m or f (neuter σᾰφές); third declension (Doric, Ionic, Attic, Koine)

1. (of something seen with the eyes, or of something understood with the mind) clear, distinct
   • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1047:

     σοί τοι λέγουσα παύεται σαφῆ λόγον

     soí toi légousa paúetai saphê lógon

     She has stopped speaking a clear word to you

   • 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, 1 35:

     τὰ ξυμφέροντα ἀποδείκνυμεν, καὶ μέγιστον ὅτι οἵ τε αὐτοὶ πολέμιοι ἡμῖν ἦσαν, ὅπερ σαφεστάτη πίστις

     tà xumphéronta apodeíknumen, kaì mégiston hóti hoí te autoì polémioi hēmîn êsan, hóper saphestátē pístis

     we show the advantages, and the greatest is that the same people are enemies to us both, which is a very clear guarantee of good faith

2. (of a person) speaking clearly, reliable
   • 467 BCE, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes 82:

     ἄναυδος σαφὴς ἔτυμος ἄγγελος

     ánaudos saphḕs étumos ángelos

     a silent, unerring, truthful messenger

   • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 390:

     ἐπεί, φέρ’ εἰπέ, ποῦ σὺ μάντις εἶ σαφής;

     epeí, phér’ eipé, poû sù mántis eî saphḗs?

     So come on, tell me, when have you been a reliable seer

Declension

Third declension of σᾰφής; σᾰφές (contracted, Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		σᾰφής săphḗs	σᾰφές săphés		σᾰφεῖ săpheî	σᾰφεῖ săpheî		σᾰφεῖς săpheîs	σᾰφῆ săphê
Genitive		σᾰφοῦς săphoûs	σᾰφοῦς săphoûs		σᾰφοῖν săphoîn	σᾰφοῖν săphoîn		σᾰφῶν săphôn	σᾰφῶν săphôn
Dative		σᾰφεῖ săpheî	σᾰφεῖ săpheî		σᾰφοῖν săphoîn	σᾰφοῖν săphoîn		σᾰφέσῐ / σᾰφέσῐν săphésĭ(n)	σᾰφέσῐ / σᾰφέσῐν săphésĭ(n)
Accusative		σᾰφῆ săphê	σᾰφές săphés		σᾰφεῖ săpheî	σᾰφεῖ săpheî		σᾰφεῖς săpheîs	σᾰφῆ săphê
Vocative		σᾰφές săphés	σᾰφές săphés		σᾰφεῖ săpheî	σᾰφεῖ săpheî		σᾰφεῖς săpheîs	σᾰφῆ săphê
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		σᾰφῶς săphôs			σᾰφέστερος săphésteros			σᾰφέστᾰτος săphéstătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἀσᾰφής (asăphḗs)

Further reading

• “σαφής”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σαφής in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

Greek

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saˈfis/
• Hyphenation: σα‧φής

Adjective

σαφής • (safís) m (feminine σαφής, neuter σαφές)

1. clear, explicit

Declension

Declension of σαφής

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	σαφής (safís)	σαφής (safís)	σαφές (safés)		σαφείς (safeís)	σαφείς (safeís)	σαφή (safí)
genitive	σαφούς (safoús) σαφή (safí)	σαφούς (safoús)	σαφούς (safoús)		σαφών (safón)	σαφών (safón)	σαφών (safón)
accusative	σαφή (safí)	σαφή (safí)	σαφές (safés)		σαφείς (safeís)	σαφείς (safeís)	σαφή (safí)
vocative	σαφή (safí) σαφής (safís)	σαφής (safís)	σαφές (safés)		σαφείς (safeís)	σαφείς (safeís)	σαφή (safí)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο σαφής, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο σαφής, etc.)

Degrees of comparison by suffixation

comparative (?) singular plural masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter nominative σαφέστερος (safésteros) σαφέστερη (safésteri) σαφέστερο (saféstero) σαφέστεροι (safésteroi) σαφέστερες (safésteres) σαφέστερα (saféstera) genitive σαφέστερου (safésterou) σαφέστερης (safésteris) σαφέστερου (safésterou) σαφέστερων (safésteron) σαφέστερων (safésteron) σαφέστερων (safésteron) accusative σαφέστερο (saféstero) σαφέστερη (safésteri) σαφέστερο (saféstero) σαφέστερους (safésterous) σαφέστερες (safésteres) σαφέστερα (saféstera) vocative σαφέστερε (saféstere) σαφέστερη (safésteri) σαφέστερο (saféstero) σαφέστεροι (safésteroi) σαφέστερες (safésteres) σαφέστερα (saféstera) Derivations: relative superlative: ο + comparative forms (eg "ο σαφέστερος", etc) absolute superlative (?) singular plural masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter nominative σαφέστατος (saféstatos) σαφέστατη (saféstati) σαφέστατο (saféstato) σαφέστατοι (saféstatoi) σαφέστατες (saféstates) σαφέστατα (saféstata) genitive σαφέστατου (saféstatou) σαφέστατης (saféstatis) σαφέστατου (saféstatou) σαφέστατων (saféstaton) σαφέστατων (saféstaton) σαφέστατων (saféstaton) accusative σαφέστατο (saféstato) σαφέστατη (saféstati) σαφέστατο (saféstato) σαφέστατους (saféstatous) σαφέστατες (saféstates) σαφέστατα (saféstata) vocative σαφέστατε (saféstate) σαφέστατη (saféstati) σαφέστατο (saféstato) σαφέστατοι (saféstatoi) σαφέστατες (saféstates) σαφέστατα (saféstata)

Derived terms

• σαφήνεια (safíneia, “clarity”)
• σαφώς (safós, “clearly”)