ἀτελής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From α- (“not”) + τέλος (“end”).

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /atelɛ͜ɛ́s/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /atɛléːs/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /atelís/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /atelís/

• (15th AD Constantinopolitan): IPA: /atelís/

Adjective

ἀτελής m, ἀτελής f, ἀτελές n; third declension; (atelēs)

1. without end
   1. not brought to an end or issue, unaccomplished
      • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Odyssey, 17.546
      • 5th, 4th century BC, Xenophon, Hellenica, 4.8,15
   2. incomplete, unfinished
      • 6th, 5th century BC, Pindar, Fragments, 227
      • 5th century BC, Sophocles, Electra, 1012
      • 5th century BC, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 8.12
      • 5th century BC, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 8.40
      • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Politics, 1.8,12
   3. inchoate, imperfect
      • Hippocrates, On Joints, 807
      • circa 380 BC, Plato, The Republic, 495.C
      • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Generation of Animals, 2.1,14
      • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Generation of Animals, 4.6,1
      • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Politics, 3.1,5
      • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Prior Analytics, 1.1,7
      • Lucian, De Dea Syria, 20
      • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Politics, 3.1,5
      • Plutarch, 2.472,F
   4. neverending, endless
      • 5th, 4th century BC, Plato, Philebus, 24.B
2. (active) not bringing to an end, not accomplishing one's purpose
   • 6th, 5th century BC, Pindar, Nemean Ode, 3.74
   • 385-380 BC, Plato, Symposium, 179.D
   • 5th, 4th century BC, Plato, Phaedrus, 248.B
   • 4th century BC, Aristotle, Politics, 3.11,9
   • Philo, 2.417
   • Andocides, 30.12
   1. not giving accomplishment to a thing
      • 6th, 5th century BC, Pindar, Pythian Ode, 5.83
3. free from tax or tribute, scot-free
   • 460-420 BC, Herodotus, Histories, 2.168
   • 460-420 BC, Herodotus, Histories, 3.91
   • Lysias, 908.3
   • 460-420 BC, Herodotus, Histories, 1.192
   • 460-420 BC, Herodotus, Histories, 6.46
   • 4th century BC, Demosthenes, 565.4
   • 4th century BC, Demosthenes, 568.11
   • Inscriptiones Graecae, 2737.6, (Compare Aristotle Politics 2.9,18)
   1. (of things) untaxed
      • 4th century BC, Demosthenes, 917.26
   2. (of sums) without charge or deduction, net, clear
      • 5th, 4th century BC, Xenophon, de Vectigalibus, 4.14
      • 4th century BC, Demosthenes, 816.8
      • Inscriptiones Graecae, 2556.23
   3. not costly
      • 5th century BC, Sophocles, Fragments, 248
4. uninitiated
   • Homeric Hymn to Demeter, 481

Inflection

    Third declension of ἀτελής, ἀτελές

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case \ Gender	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ἀτελής	ἀτελές		ἀτελεῖ	ἀτελεῖ		ἀτελεῖς	ἀτελῆ
Genitive	ἀτελοῦς	ἀτελοῦς		ἀτελοῖν	ἀτελοῖν		ἀτελῶν	ἀτελῶν
Dative	ἀτελεῖ	ἀτελεῖ		ἀτελοῖν	ἀτελοῖν		ἀτελέσι(ν)	ἀτελέσι(ν)
Accusative	ἀτελῆ	ἀτελές		ἀτελεῖ	ἀτελεῖ		ἀτελεῖς	ἀτελῆ
Vocative	ἀτελές	ἀτελές		ἀτελεῖ	ἀτελεῖ		ἀτελεῖς	ἀτελῆ

This paradigm comes from a contracted epsilon. Note that the accusative plural (ἀτελεῖς) does not follow the normal pattern for third declension, but rather takes on the form of the nominative.

References

• LSJ