ἀσαφής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ἀ- (a-) +‎ σᾰφής (săphḗs, “clear, distinct”).

Pronunciation

 

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

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

Adjective

ἀσᾰφής • (asăphḗs) m or f (neuter ἀσᾰφές); third declension

1. indistinct to the senses, dim, faint
2. indistinct to the mind, uncertain, obscure

Declension

Third declension of ᾰ̓σᾰφής; ᾰ̓σᾰφές (contracted, Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓σᾰφής ăsăphḗs	ᾰ̓σᾰφές ăsăphés		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî	ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖς ăsăpheîs	ᾰ̓σᾰφῆ ăsăphê
Genitive		ᾰ̓σᾰφοῦς ăsăphoûs	ᾰ̓σᾰφοῦς ăsăphoûs		ᾰ̓σᾰφοῖν ăsăphoîn	ᾰ̓σᾰφοῖν ăsăphoîn		ᾰ̓σᾰφῶν ăsăphôn	ᾰ̓σᾰφῶν ăsăphôn
Dative		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî	ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî		ᾰ̓σᾰφοῖν ăsăphoîn	ᾰ̓σᾰφοῖν ăsăphoîn		ᾰ̓σᾰφέσῐ / ᾰ̓σᾰφέσῐν ăsăphésĭ(n)	ᾰ̓σᾰφέσῐ / ᾰ̓σᾰφέσῐν ăsăphésĭ(n)
Accusative		ᾰ̓σᾰφῆ ăsăphê	ᾰ̓σᾰφές ăsăphés		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî	ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖς ăsăpheîs	ᾰ̓σᾰφῆ ăsăphê
Vocative		ᾰ̓σᾰφές ăsăphés	ᾰ̓σᾰφές ăsăphés		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî	ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖ ăsăpheî		ᾰ̓σᾰφεῖς ăsăpheîs	ᾰ̓σᾰφῆ ăsăphê
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		ᾰ̓σᾰφῶς ăsăphôs			ᾰ̓σᾰφέστερος ăsăphésteros			ᾰ̓σᾰφέστᾰτος ăsăphéstătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• ἀσᾰ́φειᾰ (asắpheiă)

Further reading

• “ἀσαφής”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀσαφής”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἀσαφής in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀσαφής in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)