ἄφωνος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ἀ- (a-, not) +‎ φωνή (phōnḗ, “voice”) +‎ -ος (-os).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /á.pʰɔː.nos/ → /ˈa.ɸo.nos/ → /ˈa.fo.nos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /á.pʰɔː.nos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈa.pʰo.nos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ɸo.nos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.fo.nos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈa.fo.nos/

Adjective

ᾰ̓́φωνος • (ắphōnos) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓́φωνον); second declension

1. voiceless, dumb

   Synonyms: ἐνεός (eneós), κωφός (kōphós), μυνδός (mundós), μύρκος (múrkos)

2. (of children) unable to speak
3. intestate
4. (ἄφωνα (γράμματα, στοιχεῖα)) the consonants, particularly the mutes

Inflection

Second declension of ᾰ̓́φωνος; ᾰ̓́φωνον (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓́φωνος ắphōnos	ᾰ̓́φωνον ắphōnon		ᾰ̓φώνω ăphṓnō	ᾰ̓φώνω ăphṓnō		ᾰ̓́φωνοι ắphōnoi	ᾰ̓́φωνᾰ ắphōnă
Genitive		ᾰ̓φώνου ăphṓnou	ᾰ̓φώνου ăphṓnou		ᾰ̓φώνοιν ăphṓnoin	ᾰ̓φώνοιν ăphṓnoin		ᾰ̓φώνων ăphṓnōn	ᾰ̓φώνων ăphṓnōn
Dative		ᾰ̓φώνῳ ăphṓnōi	ᾰ̓φώνῳ ăphṓnōi		ᾰ̓φώνοιν ăphṓnoin	ᾰ̓φώνοιν ăphṓnoin		ᾰ̓φώνοις ăphṓnois	ᾰ̓φώνοις ăphṓnois
Accusative		ᾰ̓́φωνον ắphōnon	ᾰ̓́φωνον ắphōnon		ᾰ̓φώνω ăphṓnō	ᾰ̓φώνω ăphṓnō		ᾰ̓φώνους ăphṓnous	ᾰ̓́φωνᾰ ắphōnă
Vocative		ᾰ̓́φωνε ắphōne	ᾰ̓́φωνον ắphōnon		ᾰ̓φώνω ăphṓnō	ᾰ̓φώνω ăphṓnō		ᾰ̓́φωνοι ắphōnoi	ᾰ̓́φωνᾰ ắphōnă
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		ᾰ̓φώνως ăphṓnōs			ᾰ̓φωνότερος ăphōnóteros			ᾰ̓φωνότᾰτος ăphōnótătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “mute consonant”): ἡμίφωνα (hēmíphōna)

Derived terms

• ἀφωνέω (aphōnéō)
• ἀφώνητος (aphṓnētos)
• ἀφωνία (aphōnía)
• ἀφώνως (aphṓnōs)

Descendants

• → French: aphone

Further reading

• “ἄφωνος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἄφωνος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἄφωνος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἄφωνος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• “ἄφωνος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G880 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • dumb idem, page 256.
  • hushed idem, page 412.
  • inarticulate idem, page 427.
  • mute idem, page 548.
  • silent idem, page 775.
  • speechless idem, page 800.
  • voiceless idem, page 956.