σφώ

Ancient Greek

second person pronoun ^(edit)

case	singular		dual	plural
	str.	encl.	str.	str.
nominative	σύ		σφώ, σφῶϊ	ῡ̔μεῖς
genitive	σοῦ	σου	σφῷν	ῡ̔μῶν
dative	σοί	σοι	σφῷν	ῡ̔μῖν
accusative	σέ	σε	σφώ, σφῶϊ	ῡ̔μᾶς
adjective	σός		σφωΐτερος	ῡ̔μέτερος

Alternative forms

• σφῶῐ̈ (sphôĭ̈) — Epic

Etymology

PIE word
*swé

A conflation of the consonantism of σφεῖς (spheîs, “they”) with the vocalism of νώ (nṓ, “we two”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /spʰɔ̌ː/ → /sɸo/ → /sfo/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spʰɔ̌ː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /spʰo/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sɸo/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sfo/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sfo/

Pronoun

σφώ • (sphṓ)

1. second person dual personal pronoun: you two, both of you, you both
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.335–336:

     ... οὔ τί μοι ὔμμες ἐπαίτιοι ἀλλ’ Ἀγαμέμνων,
     ὃ σφῶϊ προΐει Βρισηΐδος εἵνεκα κούρης.

     ... oú tí moi úmmes epaítioi all’ Agamémnōn,
     hò sphôï proḯei Brisēḯdos heíneka koúrēs.

     [Achilles speaking to Talthybius and Eurybates:]
     To me you aren't blameworthy, but Agamemnon,
     who sent you both for the girl Briseis.

Usage notes

Singular and plural are σῠ́ (sŭ́) and ῡ̔μεῖς (hūmeîs).

Inflection

Irregular declension of σφώ; σφῷν (Attic)

Case / #	Dual
Nominative	σφώ sphṓ
Genitive	σφῷν sphôin
Dative	σφῷν sphôin
Accusative	σφώ sphṓ
Vocative	σφώ sphṓ
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Irregular declension of σφῶῐ̈; σφῶῐ̈ν (Epic)

Case / #	Dual
Nominative	σφῶῐ̈ / σφώ sphôĭ̈ / sphṓ
Genitive	σφῶῐ̈ν / σφῷν sphôĭ̈n / sphôin
Dative	σφῶῐ̈ν / σφῷν sphôĭ̈n / sphôin
Accusative	σφῶῐ̈ / σφώ sphôĭ̈ / sphṓ
Vocative	σφῶῐ̈ / σφώ sphôĭ̈ / sphṓ
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Related terms

• σφωΐτερος (sphōḯteros, “second person dual possessive adjective”)

Further reading

• “σφώ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σφώ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Herbert Weir Smyth & Gordon M. Messing, Greek Grammar, Cambridge, American Book Company, 1920, section 325.
• William W. Goodwin, A Greek Grammar. Revised and enlarged, Boston, 1900, p.82f.
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1429