σοφιστής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From σοφίζω (sophízō, “to become wise”) +‎ -ιστής (-istḗs), from σοφός (sophós, “wise”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /so.pʰis.tɛ̌ːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /so.pʰisˈte̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /so.ɸisˈtis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /so.fisˈtis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /so.fisˈtis/

Noun

σοφῐστής • (sophĭstḗs) m (genitive σοφῐστοῦ); first declension (Attic, Ionic, Koine)

A master of one's craft
One who is wise, prudent, a philosopher
teacher, tutor
(slang, derogatory) One who makes a profit off of false wisdom: cheat, swindler

Usage notes

The reputation of the teachers at Athens came into decline in the fifth century BC, and thus came the connotation of cheat. This varies with time in relation to the general approval or disapproval of the paid teachers.

Inflection

First declension of ὁ σοφῐστής; τοῦ σοφῐστοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σοφῐστής ho sophĭstḗs	τὼ σοφῐστᾱ́ tṑ sophĭstā́	οἱ σοφῐσταί hoi sophĭstaí
Genitive	τοῦ σοφῐστοῦ toû sophĭstoû	τοῖν σοφῐσταῖν toîn sophĭstaîn	τῶν σοφῐστῶν tôn sophĭstôn
Dative	τῷ σοφῐστῇ tôi sophĭstêi	τοῖν σοφῐσταῖν toîn sophĭstaîn	τοῖς σοφῐσταῖς toîs sophĭstaîs
Accusative	τὸν σοφῐστήν tòn sophĭstḗn	τὼ σοφῐστᾱ́ tṑ sophĭstā́	τοὺς σοφῐστᾱ́ς toùs sophĭstā́s
Vocative	σοφῐστᾰ́ sophĭstắ	σοφῐστᾱ́ sophĭstā́	σοφῐσταί sophĭstaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Coordinate terms

σοφῐ́στρῐᾰ f (sophĭ́strĭă)

Derived terms

ἀκᾰτᾰσόφῐστος (akătăsóphĭstos, “not to be put down by fallacies”)
ἀντισοφῐστής m (antisophĭstḗs, “who seeks to refute”)
ἀσόφῐστος (asóphĭstos, “not deluded by fallacies”)
γυμνοσοφῐσταί m pl (gumnosophĭstaí, “naked philosophers, gymnosophists”)
γυμνοσοφῐστῐ́ᾱ f (gumnosophĭstĭ́ā, “wisdom of gymnosophists”)
Δειπνοσοφισταί m pl (Deipnosophistaí, “title of work by Athenaeus”)
δειπνοσοφῐστής m (deipnosophĭstḗs, “learned in the mysteries of the kitchen”)
ἰᾱτροσοφῐστής m (iātrosophĭstḗs, “professor of medicine”)
ἰᾱτροφῐλόσοφος m (iātrophĭlósophos, “scientific doctor”)
μεγᾰλοσοφῐστής m (megălosophĭstḗs, “great sophist”)
μετεωροσοφῐστής m (meteōrosophĭstḗs, “astronomical sophist”)
σοφῐστορήτωρ m (sophĭstorḗtōr, “sophist-orator”)
ῠ̔περσοφῐστής m (hŭpersophĭstḗs, “arch-sophist”)
ψευδοσοφῐστής m (pseudosophĭstḗs, “sham-sophist”)

Related terms

ἀκᾰτᾰσόφῐστος (akătăsóphĭstos, “not to be put down by fallacies”)
ἀσόφῐστος (asóphĭstos, “not deluded by fallacies”)
σοφῐστείᾱ f (sophĭsteíā, “sophistry”)
σοφῐστέον (sophĭstéon, “one must contrive”)
σοφῐστέος (sophĭstéos, “one must contrive”)
σοφῐ́στευμᾰ n (sophĭ́steumă, “skill, method”)
σοφῐστεύω (sophĭsteúō, “play the sophist; teach, give lectures”)
σοφῐστήρῐον n (sophĭstḗrĭon, “school of sophistry”)
σοφῐστῐάω (sophĭstĭáō, “play the sophist”)
σοφῐστῐκός (sophĭstĭkós, “of a sophist”)

Descendants

Greek: σοφιστής (sofistís)
→ Arabic:
Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: סופיסטה, סופיסטא, סופיסטיס

Classical Syriac: ܣܘܿܦܝܺܣܛܳܐ (sōpisṭā), ܣܦܣܛܐ, ܣܘܦܣܛܐ, ܣܦܝܣܛܘܣ
- → Arabic: سَفْسَطَائِيّ (safsaṭāʔiyy)
- → Persian: سوفسطایی (sufestâyi)
→ Latin: sophistēs, sophista (all periods), sofista (Medieval Latin)
- → English: sophist
- → French: sophiste