ἀπόφασις

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.pó.pʰa.sis/ → /aˈpo.ɸa.sis/ → /aˈpo.fa.sis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.pó.pʰa.sis/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.pʰa.sis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.ɸa.sis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.fa.sis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.fa.sis/

Etymology 1

ἀπο- (apo-, “away, from, off”) +‎ φᾰ́σῐς (phắsĭs, “appearance; denunciation; accusation”), root φαίνω (phaínō, “bring to light; appear; denounce”) +‎ -σῐς (-sĭs); form of composed verb ἀποφαίνω (apophaínō, “make known, declare, make clear; produce, render; denounce”), from Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ (“to shine”).

Noun

ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς • (ăpóphăsĭs) f (genitive ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως); third declension

1. (law) decision, finding, resolution, judgment, sentence, verdict (as of a court)
2. (logic, rhetoric) declaration, predication, assertion, answer
3. list, inventory, catalogue
4. (religion) oracle, prophetic statement, heavenly proclamation
5. appearance, image, apparition

   Synonyms: φάσμα (phásma), φάτις (phátis)

Inflection

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς hē ăpóphăsĭs	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ ăpophắsei	αἱ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις hai ăpophắseis
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως tês ăpophắseōs	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn ăpophăséoin	τῶν ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεων tôn ăpophắseōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει têi ăpophắsei	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn ăpophăséoin	ταῖς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐ / ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐν taîs ăpophắsesĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐν tḕn ăpóphăsĭn	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ ăpophắsei	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις tā̀s ăpophắseis
Vocative	ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐ ăpóphăsĭ	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει ăpophắsei	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις ăpophắseis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς; τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως (Koine, Attic)

Alternative forms

• ἀπόφανσις (apóphansis)

Further reading

• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers

Etymology 2

ἀπο- (apo-, “away, from, off”) +‎ φᾰ́σῐς (phắsĭs, “statement, proposition, assertion”), root φημί (phēmí, “say, affirm, assert”) +‎ -σῐς (-sĭs); form of composed verb ἀπόφημι (apóphēmi, “speak out; say no, refuse, deny”) from Attic Greek φημί (phēmí), Doric Greek φᾱμί (phāmí) from Proto-Hellenic *pʰā́mā from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ (“to speak”); whence via Proto-Italic *fāōr, *fāmā cognate to Latin fārī, fābula, fāma.

Noun

ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς • (ăpóphăsĭs) f (genitive ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως); third declension

1. (logic, rhetoric) denial, negation, repudiation, exclusion; apophasis, negatory predication, denying a proposition
2. (grammar, linguistics) negative particle; negating sign

Inflection

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς hē ăpóphăsĭs	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ ăpophắsei	αἱ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις hai ăpophắseis
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως tês ăpophắseōs	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn ăpophăséoin	τῶν ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεων tôn ăpophắseōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει têi ăpophắsei	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn ăpophăséoin	ταῖς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐ / ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐν taîs ăpophắsesĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐν tḕn ăpóphăsĭn	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ ăpophắsei	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις tā̀s ăpophắseis
Vocative	ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐ ăpóphăsĭ	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει ăpophắsei	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις ăpophắseis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς; τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως (Koine, Attic)

Antonyms

• κατάφασις (katáphasis)

Descendants

• Byzantine Greek: ἀπόφαση (apóphasē)
  • Greek: απόφαση (apófasi)
• → Latin: apophasis
  • English: apophasis
  • French: apophase
  • Galician: apófase
  • → Finnish: apofaasi
  • Portuguese: apófase
  • → Russian: Апофазия (Apofazija)

Further reading

• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἀπόφασις in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • decision idem, page 201.
  • denial idem, page 210.
  • judgment idem, page 465.
  • negation idem, page 554.