μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ
Ancient Greek
editEtymology
editLiterally, “one swallow does not make a spring”. A remark found in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (1098a18: “one swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy”), itself inspired by the fable The Young Man and the Swallow by Aesop.
Pronunciation
edit- (5th BCE Attic) IPA(key): /mí.a kʰe.liː.dɔ̀ːn é.ar uː poi̯.êː/
- (1st CE Egyptian) IPA(key): /ˈmi.a kʰe.liˈdon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/
- (4th CE Koine) IPA(key): /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/
- (10th CE Byzantine) IPA(key): /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u pyˈi/
- (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA(key): /ˈmi.a çe.liˈðon ˈe.ar u piˈi/
Proverb
editμίᾰ χελῑδὼν ἔᾰρ οὐ ποιεῖ • (mía khelīdṑn éar ou poieî)
Descendants
edit- Greek: ένα χελιδόνι δεν φέρνει την άνοιξη (éna chelidóni den férnei tin ánoixi)
- → Dutch: een zwaluw maakt nog geen zomer (calque)
- → English: one swallow does not a summer make (calque) (see there for further translations)
- → Chinese: 一燕不成夏 (yīyànbùchéngxià) (calque)
- → Korean: 한 마리의 제비가 왔다고 봄이 온 것은 아니다 (han mariui jebiga watdago bomi on geoseun anida) (calque)
- → French: une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps (calque)
- → German: eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer (calque)
- → Italian: una rondine non fa primavera (calque)
- → Polish: jedna jaskółka wiosny nie czyni (calque)
- → Portuguese: uma andorinha só não faz verão (calque)
- → Russian: пе́рвая ла́сточка весны́ не де́лает (pérvaja lástočka vesný ne délajet) (calque)
- → Spanish: una golondrina no hace verano (calque)