φημί

See also: φημι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • φᾱμί (phāmí) — Doric
  • φημι (phēmi) — unstressed
  • φᾱμι (phāmi) — Doric, unstressed

Etymology

    From Proto-Hellenic *pʰā́mi, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti (“to speak”).

    Pronunciation

     

    Verb

    φημί • (phēmí)

    1. to speak, say
      1. to think
      2. (of an author) to write
      3. (φησί (phēsí) or ἔφη (éphē) used when quoting, sometimes after another verb of saying)
        • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 17.10:
          καὶ ὁ Ἰσχόμαχος γελάσας εἶπεν: ἀλλὰ παίζεις μὲν σύγε, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες.
          kaì ho Iskhómakhos gelásas eîpen: allà paízeis mèn súge, éphē, ô Sṓkrates.
          And Ischomachus said, laughing, "But you're joking, Socrates," he said.
    2. to say yes, agree, affirm, assert
      1. (with οὐ (ou)) to say no, deny, refuse
        • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.19.3:
          τοῖσι δὲ ἡ Πυθίη ἀπικομένοισι ἐς Δελφοὺς οὐκ ἔφη χρήσειν πρὶν ἢ τὸν νηὸν τῆς Ἀθηναίης ἀνορθώσωσι, τὸν ἐνέπρησαν χώρης τῆς Μιλησίης ἐν Ἀσσησῷ.
          toîsi dè hē Puthíē apikoménoisi es Delphoùs ouk éphē khrḗsein prìn ḕ tòn nēòn tês Athēnaíēs anorthṓsōsi, tòn enéprēsan khṓrēs tês Milēsíēs en Assēsōî.
          But when the messengers came to Delphi, the Pythian priestess would not answer them before they restored the temple of Athena at Assesos in the Milesian territory, which they had burnt.
      2. (φημί (phēmí) or οὕτως φημί (hoútōs phēmí) as interjection) yes, I would say so

    Usage notes

    All finite forms of the present indicative except for φῄς (phēís) are enclitic, as shown by the acute accent in ὥς φησι (hṓs phēsi) "so he says".

    For the imperfect active, ἔφασκον (éphaskon), from the verb φάσκω (pháskō) was generally used instead.[1]

    Inflection

       Present: φημῐ́
    number singular dual plural
    first second third second third first second third
    active indicative φημῐ́ φῄς φησῐ́/φησῐ́ν φᾰτόν φᾰτόν φᾰμέν φᾰτέ φᾱσῐ́/φᾱσῐ́ν
    subjunctive φῶ φῇς φῇ φῆτον φῆτον φῶμεν φῆτε φῶσῐ(ν)
    optative φαίην φαίης φαίη φαῖτον,
    φαίητον     		φαίτην,
    φαιήτην     		φαῖμεν,
    φαίημεν     		φαῖτε,
    φαίητε     		φαῖεν,
    φαίησᾰν
    imperative   φᾰ́θῐ/φᾰθῐ́ φᾰ́τω φᾰ́τον φᾰ́των   φᾰ́τε φᾰ́ντων
    active
    infinitive φᾰ́ναι
    participle m φᾱ́ς
    f φᾶσᾰ
    n φᾰ́ν
    Notes:
    This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
       Present: φημῐ́, φᾰ́μαι (Epic)
    number singular dual plural
    first second third second third first second third
    active indicative φημῐ́ φῇσθᾰ φησῐ́ φᾰτόν φᾰτόν φᾰμέν φᾰτέ φᾱσῐ́/φᾱσῐ́ν
    subjunctive φῶ,
    φῶμῐ     		φῇς,
    φῇσθᾰ     		φήῃ/φῇσι φῆτον φῆτον φῶμεν φῆτε φῶσῐ(ν)
    optative φαίην φαίης φαίη φαῖτον φαίτην φαῖμεν φαῖτε φαῖεν
    imperative   φᾰ́θῐ/φᾰθῐ́ φᾰ́τω φᾰ́τον φᾰ́των   φᾰ́τε φᾰ́ντων
    middle/
    passive     		indicative φᾰ́μαι φᾰ́σαι φᾰ́ται φᾰ́σθον φᾰ́σθον φᾰ́με(σ)θᾰ φᾰ́σθε φᾰ́νται
    subjunctive φῶμαι φῇ φῆται φῆσθον φῆσθον φώμε(σ)θᾰ φῆσθε φῶνται
    optative φαίμην φαῖο φαῖτο φαῖσθον φαίσθην φαίμε(σ)θᾰ φαῖσθε φαίᾰτο
    imperative   φᾰ́σο φᾰ́σθω φᾰ́σθον φᾰ́σθων   φᾰ́σθε φᾰ́σθων
    active middle/passive
    infinitive φᾰ́ναι φᾰ́σθαι
    participle m φᾱ́ς φᾰ́μενος
    f φᾶσᾰ φᾰμένη
    n φᾰ́ν φᾰ́μενον
    Notes:
    Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
       Imperfect: ἔφην, ἐφᾰ́μην
    number singular dual plural
    first second third second third first second third
    active indicative ἔφην ἔφης/ἔφησθᾰ ἔφη(ν) ἔφᾰτον ἐφᾰ́την ἔφᾰμεν ἔφᾰτε ἔφᾰσᾰν/ἔφᾰν
    middle indicative ἐφᾰ́μην ἔφᾰσο ἔφᾰτο ἔφᾰσθον ἐφᾰ́σθην ἐφᾰ́μεθᾰ ἔφᾰσθε ἔφᾰντο
    Notes:
    This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
       Imperfect: φῆν, φᾰ́μην (Epic)
    number singular dual plural
    first second third second third first second third
    active indicative φῆν φῆς/φῆσθᾰ φῆ φᾰ́τον φᾰ́την φᾰ́μεν φᾰ́τε φᾰ́σᾰν/φᾰ́ν
    middle indicative φᾰ́μην φᾰ́σο φᾰ́το φᾰ́σθον φᾰ́σθην φᾰ́με(σ)θᾰ φᾰ́σθε φᾰ́ντο
    Notes:
    Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
       Future: φήσω
    number singular dual plural
    first second third second third first second third
    active indicative φήσω φήσεις φήσει φήσετον φήσετον φήσομεν φήσετε φήσουσῐ(ν)
    optative φήσοιμῐ φήσοις φήσοι φήσοιτον φησοίτην φήσοιμεν φήσοιτε φήσοιεν
    active
    infinitive φήσειν
    participle m φήσων
    f φήσουσᾰ
    n φῆσον
    Notes:
    This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
       Aorist: ἔφησᾰ
    number singular dual plural
    first second third second third first second third
    active indicative ἔφησᾰ ἔφησᾰς ἔφησε(ν) ἐφήσᾰτον ἐφησᾰ́την ἐφήσᾰμεν ἐφήσᾰτε ἔφησᾰν
    subjunctive φήσω φήσῃς φήσῃ φήσητον φήσητον φήσωμεν φήσητε φήσωσῐ(ν)
    optative φήσαιμῐ φήσειᾰς,
    φήσαις     		φήσειε(ν),
    φήσαι     		φήσαιτον φησαίτην φήσαιμεν φήσαιτε φήσειᾰν,
    φήσαιεν
    imperative   φῆσον φησᾰ́τω φήσᾰτον φησᾰ́των   φήσᾰτε φησᾰ́ντων
    active
    infinitive φῆσαι
    participle m φήσᾱς
    f φήσᾱσᾰ
    n φῆσᾰν
    Notes:
    This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.
    • Third-person singular perfect passive imperative: πεφάσθω (pephásthō)

    Synonyms

    • λέγω (légō, “say, speak”)[2][3]
    • ἀγορεύω (agoreúō, “to speak in the assembly”)[2][3]
    • ἀδολεσχέω (adoleskhéō, “to talk idly, prate”)[2][3]
    • δημηγορέω (dēmēgoréō, “to speak in the assembly; to make popular speeches”)[2]
    • διαλέγομαι (dialégomai, “to converse, hold a discussion, debate, argue.”)[3]
    • λαλέω (laléō, “to talk, chat, prattle”)[2][3]
    • ληρέω (lēréō, “to speak foolishly”)[2]
    • μυθέομαι (muthéomai, “say, tell”)[2]
    • ὑθλέω (huthléō, “talk nonsense, trifle, prate”)[2]
    • φάσκω (pháskō, “to declare, state, affirm”)[2][3]
    • φλυαρέω (phluaréō, “to talk nonsense”)[2][3]
    • φράζω (phrázō, “to make known, point out, intimate, show; to tell, declare; to explain, interpret; to counsel, advise, suggest, bid, order”)[2][3]

    Derived terms

    • ἀντίφημι (antíphēmi)
    • ἀπόφημι (apóphēmi)
    • ἔκφημι (ékphēmi)
    • κατάφημι (katáphēmi)
    • μετάφημι (metáphēmi)
    • παράφημι (paráphēmi)
    • πρόσφημι (prósphēmi)
    • σύμφημι (súmphēmi)

    References

    1. ^ “φημί”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
    2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Dufour (1910) pp.62-68
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Pillon (1847) pp.413-416

    Further reading

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