Νεφελοκοκκυγία

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 4 January 2013

Etymology

From νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”) +‎ κόκκῡξ (kókkūx, “cuckoo”) +‎ -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā).

Pronunciation

 

Proper noun

Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ • (Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā) f (genitive Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς); first declension

  1. cloud-cuckoo-land
    • 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 819:
      Πισθέταιρος βούλει Νεφελοκοκκυγίαν?
      Ἔποψ ἰοὺ ἰού: καλόν γ’ ἀτεχνῶς σὺ καὶ μέγ’ ηὗρες τοὔνομα!
      Ἐυελπίδης ἆρ’ ἐστὶν αὑτηγὶ Νεφελοκοκκυγία, ἵνα καὶ τὰ Θεογένους τὰ πολλὰ χρήματα τά τ’ Αἰσχίνου γ’ ἅπαντα?
      Pisthétairos boúlei Nephelokokkugían?
      Épops ioù ioú: kalón g’ atekhnôs sù kaì még’ hēûres toúnoma!
      Euelpídēs âr’ estìn hautēgì Nephelokokkugía, hína kaì tà Theogénous tà pollà khrḗmata tá t’ Aiskhínou g’ hápanta?
      • Translation by Ian Johnston
        Pisthetairos: Well, then, how do you like this: Cloudcuckooland?
        Chorus leader: Yes! That’s good! You’ve come up with a name that’s really wonderful—it’s great!
        Euelpides: Hang on, is this Cloudcuckooland the very spot where Theogenes keeps lots of money, and Aeschines hides all his assets?

Inflection

First declension of ἡ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ; τῆς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς (Attic)
Case / # Singular Dual Plural
Nominative ἡ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ
hē Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā 		τὼ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ
tṑ Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā 		αἱ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αι
hai Nephelokokkūgĭ́ai
Genitive τῆς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς
tês Nephelokokkūgĭ́ās 		τοῖν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αιν
toîn Nephelokokkūgĭ́ain 		τῶν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐῶν
tôn Nephelokokkūgĭôn
Dative τῇ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾳ
tēî Nephelokokkūgĭ́āi 		τοῖν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αιν
toîn Nephelokokkūgĭ́ain 		ταῖς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αις
taîs Nephelokokkūgĭ́ais
Accusative τὴν Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱν
tḕn Nephelokokkūgĭ́ān 		τὼ Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ
tṑ Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā 		τᾱ̀ς Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱς
tā̀s Nephelokokkūgĭ́ās
Vocative Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ
Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā 		Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ
Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā 		Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́αι
Nephelokokkūgĭ́ai
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.
  • Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐεύς (Nephelokokkūgĭeús)

Descendants

References

Greek

Etymology

Ancient Greek Νεφελοκοκκῡγῐ́ᾱ (Nephelokokkūgĭ́ā, “cloud-cuckoo-land”), from (νεφέλη (nephélē, “cloud”) + κόκκῡξ (kókkūx, “cuckoo”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, “country suffix”)). A placename created by Aristophanes, the city of The Birds. In philological texts, referred as Nephelococcygia.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ne.fe.lo.ko.ciˈʝi.a/
  • Hyphenation: Νε‧φε‧λε‧κοκ‧κυ‧γί‧α

Proper noun

Νεφελοκοκκυγία • (Nefelokokkygía) f (plural Νεφελοκοκκυγίες)

  1. cloud-cuckoo-land, a utopia, imaginary place with unrealistic or silly people.
    • Για τις Νεφελοκοκκυγίες σας έχω / πολλά κι ωραία τραγούδια εγώ συνθέσει
      Gia tis Nefelokokkygíes sas écho / pollá ki oraía tragoúdia egó synthései
      For your Cloudcuckoolands I have composed many and wonderful songs
      Translation (1967) in Modern Greek by Thrasyboulοs Stavrou of Aristophanes, The Birds, verses 917-918 @greek-language.gr

Declension

Declension of Νεφελοκοκκυγία
singular plural
nominative Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía) Νεφελοκοκκυγίες (Nefelokokkygíes)
genitive Νεφελοκοκκυγίας (Nefelokokkygías) Νεφελοκοκκυγιών (Nefelokokkygión)
accusative Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía) Νεφελοκοκκυγίες (Nefelokokkygíes)
vocative Νεφελοκοκκυγία (Nefelokokkygía) Νεφελοκοκκυγίες (Nefelokokkygíes)

Usually in the singular.

Further reading

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