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

 

• IPA^(key): /pʰɛː.mí/ → /ɸiˈmi/ → /fiˈmi/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pʰɛː.mí/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pʰe̝ˈmi/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɸiˈmi/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /fiˈmi/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /fiˈmi/

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 Assēsôi.

        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
      • 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 500e
      • 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Meno 83c

Usage notes

All finite forms of the present indicative except for φῄς (phḗis) 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

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

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.

   Present: φημῐ́, φᾰ́μαι (Epic)

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: ἔφην, ἐφᾰ́μην

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.

   Imperfect: φῆν, φᾰ́μην (Epic)

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.

   Future: φήσω

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.

   Aorist: ἔφησᾰ

• 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)

 

Related terms

• Εὐφημία (Euphēmía)
• εὐφημισμός (euphēmismós)
• φάτις (phátis)
• φήμη (phḗmē)
• φῆμις (phêmis)
• φωνή (phōnḗ)

 

References

1. “φημί”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
2. Dufour (1910) pp.62-68
3. Pillon (1847) pp.413-416

Further reading

• Dufour (1910) Traite elementaire des synonymes grecs, Dire, parler, pp.62-68
• Arnold; Pillon (1850) Handbook of Greek synonymes, from the French. Edited, with notes, "310. λέγειν", pp.293-296
• Pillon (1847) Synonymes grecs, recueillis dans les écrivains des différents âges de la littérature grecque, "310. λέγειν", pp.413-416
• “φημί”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “φημί”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “φημί”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• φημί in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• φημί in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• G5346 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• “prophet”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part II: Inflection”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 783: inflected forms