κίδαφος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• κίνδαφιος (kíndaphios), σκίνδαφος (skíndaphos)

Etymology

According to Beekes the adjectival usage is secondary and the main usage for the word was as an animal name meaning "fox" and due to all the variations of the word he supports that it is a word of Pre-Greek origin. However, it also matches the Semitic root כ־ד־ב (k-ḏ-b) / ك ذ ب (k-ḏ-b) (Hebrew כ־ז־ב (k-z-b)) related to lies, most closely in Aramaic כַּדָּבָא (kaddāḇā, “frequently lying”) and in Arabic كَذَّاب (kaḏḏāb, “frequently lying”). In the latter case, the word is a doublet of κίβδηλος (kíbdēlos, “deceitful; fake”) in case that term is also of the same origin and not of Pre-Greek origin, contrary to what is suggested by Beekes.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kí.da.pʰos/ → /ˈci.ða.ɸos/ → /ˈci.ða.fos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /kí.da.pʰos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈki.da.pʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈci.ða.ɸos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈci.ða.fos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈci.ða.fos/

Adjective

κίδαφος • (kídaphos) m (feminine κιδάφη, neuter κίδαφον); first/second declension

1. wily, cunning, sly

Inflection

First and second declension of κίδαφος; κιδάφη; κίδαφον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		κίδαφος kídaphos	κιδάφη kidáphē	κίδαφον kídaphon		κιδάφω kidáphō	κιδάφᾱ kidáphā	κιδάφω kidáphō		κίδαφοι kídaphoi	κίδαφαι kídaphai	κίδαφᾰ kídapha
Genitive		κιδάφου kidáphou	κιδάφης kidáphēs	κιδάφου kidáphou		κιδάφοιν kidáphoin	κιδάφαιν kidáphain	κιδάφοιν kidáphoin		κιδάφων kidáphōn	κιδάφων kidáphōn	κιδάφων kidáphōn
Dative		κιδάφῳ kidáphōi	κιδάφῃ kidáphēi	κιδάφῳ kidáphōi		κιδάφοιν kidáphoin	κιδάφαιν kidáphain	κιδάφοιν kidáphoin		κιδάφοις kidáphois	κιδάφαις kidáphais	κιδάφοις kidáphois
Accusative		κίδαφον kídaphon	κιδάφην kidáphēn	κίδαφον kídaphon		κιδάφω kidáphō	κιδάφᾱ kidáphā	κιδάφω kidáphō		κιδάφους kidáphous	κιδάφᾱς kidáphās	κίδαφᾰ kídapha
Vocative		κίδαφε kídaphe	κιδάφη kidáphē	κίδαφον kídaphon		κιδάφω kidáphō	κιδάφᾱ kidáphā	κιδάφω kidáphō		κίδαφοι kídaphoi	κίδαφαι kídaphai	κίδαφᾰ kídapha
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		κιδάφως kidáphōs				κιδαφότερος kidaphóteros				κιδαφότᾰτος kidaphótatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• κιδαφεύω (kidapheúō)

Further reading

• “κίδαφος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
• Szemerényi, Oswald (1974) “The origins of the Greek lexicon: Ex Oriente Lux”, in The Journal of Hellenic Studies‎^[1], volume 94, →DOI, pages 155–156