hyle

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) hile, hyla; ylem

Etymology

One of several English variants (in casu Modern English, in the 17th and 18th century) for the Medieval Latin hyle, a transliteration of Aristotle’s concept of matter, in Ancient Greek ὕλη (hulē, “wood(s), material(s), matter, subject”) or πρώτη ὕλη (prote hule, “fundamental, undifferentiated matter”)

Noun

hyle (uncountable)

1. (obsolete, philosophy) matter
2. The first matter of the cosmos, from which the four elements arose, according to the doctrines of Empedocles and Aristotle.

References

• OED: The Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, Oxford University Press, 1989

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Danish

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

hyle (imperative hyl, infinitive at hyle, present tense hyler, past tense hylede, past participle har hylet)

1. yell
2. howl
3. wail
4. yowl
5. whine
6. hoot

Related terms

terms related to hyle (verb)

hyl hylekor hylen hylende

hyler hyleri hyletone

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Latin

Etymology

Transliteration of Aristotle’s concept of matter, in Ancient Greek ὕλη (hulē) or πρώτη ὕλη (“fundamental, undifferentiated matter”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈhʏː.leː/

Noun

hȳlē (genitive hȳlēs); f, first declension

1. matter, the fundamental matter of all things, as opposing the form of all things (Aristotle’s doctrine of matter and form or hylomorphism); in Mediaeval Latin respectively materia prima and forma substantialis
2. the matter of the body, as opposing the soul or mind (Aristotle’s doctrine of the soul)
3. the first matter of the cosmos, an inaccurate interpretation of Aristotle's ἡ πρώτη ὕλη or materia prima

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	hȳlē	hȳlae
genitive	hȳlēs	hȳlārum
dative	hȳlae	hȳlīs
accusative	hȳlēn	hȳlās
ablative	hȳlē	hȳlīs
vocative	hȳlē	hȳlae

References

• L&S: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1969
• See further references under ὕλη.