σφεῖς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

PIE word
*swé

The consonantism began in the dative σφι (sphi), originally the dative of the reflexive pronoun, from Proto-Indo-European *s(e)bʰi. Later the σφ-cluster spread to the rest of the paradigm, and the pronoun acquired a nonreflexive plural sense. The ending -εῖς was added by analogy with other pronominal forms, such as ἡμεῖς (hēmeîs). The σφ-cluster also spread to the third-person dual pronoun σφωέ (sphōé) and the second-person dual pronoun σφώ (sphṓ).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /spʰêːs/ → /sɸis/ → /sfis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spʰêːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /spʰis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sɸis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sfis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sfis/

Pronoun

σφεῖς • (spheîs)

1. (personal pronoun, third person) they
2. (reflexive pronoun, third person) themselves

Usage notes

Oblique cases (not nominative) used frequently by Homer. In Attic, the plurals of αὐτός (autós) and ἑαυτοῦ (heautoû) are more commonly used as personal pronoun and reflexive. For the singular forms, see οὗ (hoû).

Inflection

Irregular declension of σφεῖς; σφῶν (Attic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	σφεῖς spheîs
Genitive	σφῶν sphôn
Dative	σφῐ́σῐ / σφῐ́σῐν sphísi(n)
Accusative	σφᾶς sphâs
Vocative	—
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Irregular declension of —; σφείων (Epic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	—
Genitive	σφείων / σφέων / σφεων† / σφῶν spheíōn / sphéōn / spheōn† / sphôn
Dative	σφῐ́σῐ / σφῐ́σῐν / σφῐσῐ / σφῐσῐν† / σφῐν† sphísi(n) / sphisi(n)† / sphin†
Accusative	σφέᾰς / σφεᾰς† / σφε† sphéas / spheas† / sphe†
Vocative	—
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Irregular declension of σφεῖς; σφέων (Ionic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	σφεῖς spheîs
Genitive	σφέων / σφεων† sphéōn / spheōn†
Dative	σφῐ́σῐ / σφῐ́σῐν / σφῐσῐ / σφῐσῐν† / σφῐ / σφῐν sphísi(n) / sphisi(n)† / sphi / sphin
Accusative	σφέᾰς / σφεᾰς† / σφεᾰ† (neuter) sphéas / spheas† / sphea† (neuter)
Vocative	—
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Irregular declension of —; σφείων (Doric)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	—
Genitive	σφείων / ψέων spheíōn / pséōn
Dative	φῐ́ν / ψῐ́ν / σφῐ / σφῐν† phín / psín / sphi(n)†
Accusative	σφέ / ψέ sphé / psé
Vocative	—
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Irregular declension of —; σφῶν (Aeolic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	—
Genitive	σφῶν sphôn
Dative	ᾰ̓́σφι ásphi
Accusative	ᾰ̓́σφε ásphe
Vocative	—
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Related terms

• σφέτερος (sphéteros)
• σφωέ (sphōé)
• σφωΐτερος (sphōḯteros)

Descendants

• Tsakonian: σι (si)

Further reading

• “σφεῖς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σφεῖς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Frisk, Hjalmar (1970) “σφεῖς”, in Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 829
• Chantraine, Pierre (1974) “σφεῖς”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque (in French), volume III, Paris: Klincksieck, pages 1075–76
• J. B. Hofmann, Ετυμολογικόν Λεξικόν της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής, 1974, p. 414;
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1429