μαβής
Greek edit
Etymology edit
From Ottoman Turkish ماوی (mavi, “blue, watery”), ultimately from Arabic ماء (māʔ, “water”).[1][2]
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
μαβής • (mavís) m (feminine μαβιά, neuter μαβί)
- (dated, poetic) azure, navy blue, dark blue[2][3][4][5] (literary use especially in reference to the sky, sea, or eyes)
- Synonyms: λουλακής (loulakís), βαθυγάλαζος (vathygálazos)
- 1915, Constantine P. Cavafy, Θάλασσα του πρωϊού[2]:
- θάλασσας του πρωιού κι ανέφελου ουρανού λαμπρά μαβιά
- thálassas tou proïoú ki anéfelou ouranoú lamprá maviá
- bright azures of morning sea and cloudless sky
- 1914, Constantine P. Cavafy, Μακριά[3]:
- Μόλις θυμούμαι πια τα μάτια· ήσαν, θαρρώ, μαβιά… Α ναι, μαβιά· ένα σαπφείρινο μαβί.
- Mólis thymoúmai pia ta mátia; ísan, tharró, maviá… A nai, maviá; éna sapfeírino maví.
- I barely remember the eyes now; they were, I gather, dark blue… Ah, yes, dark blue; sapphire blue.
- (colloquial) violet, mauve, dark purple[1][4][5]
Usage notes edit
A semantic shift of the colour denoted by the word appears to have occurred in the second half of the 20th century.[6][7] Earlier (pre-WWII) dictionaries give the meaning exclusively as "dark blue" (cf. Modern Turkish mavi (“blue”)).[3][6] This is supported by the common use in concurrent literature (see Cavafy quotes). However, starting from the 1950-60s the second meaning of "mauve, dark purple" appears in major dictionaries.[4] According to [7] this is perhaps due to diminishing contact and understanding of the Turkish language, where the term originates, and the semantic influence of phonetically similar μοβ (mov) (from French mauve). Nowadays, discrepancies are found among major dictionaries;[6] some sources note both meanings,[5] while others only include "mauve, dark purple",[1] indicating the dominance of the latter in colloquial speech.[7]
Declension edit
| number case \ gender |
singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | masculine | feminine | neuter | |
| nominative | μαβής • | μαβιά • | μαβί • | μαβιοί • | μαβιές • | μαβιά • |
| genitive | μαβή • / μαβιού • | μαβιάς • | μαβιού • | μαβιών • | μαβιών • | μαβιών • |
| accusative | μαβή • | μαβιά • | μαβί • | μαβιούς • | μαβιές • | μαβιά • |
| vocative | μαβή • | μαβιά • | μαβί • | μαβιοί • | μαβιές • | μαβιά • |
| derivations | Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο μαβής, etc.) Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο μαβής, etc.) | |||||
References edit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 μαβής - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 μαβής - Babiniotis, Georgios (2010) Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας Etymologikó lexikó tis néas ellinikís glóssas (in Greek), Athens: Lexicology Centre
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Zevgolis, Georgios, editor (1933), “μαβής”, in "Πρωΐας" Λεξικὸν τῆς Νέας Ἑλληνικῆς Γλώσσης [Proia Dictionary of the Modern Greek Language] (in Greek), volume 2, Athens: Πρωΐα (Proia)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The template Template:R:Dimitrakos 1964 does not use the parameter(s):
1=μαβύς
Please see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.Dimitrakos, Dimitrios B. (1964) Μέγα λεξικόν ὅλης τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς γλώσσης (in Greek), Athens: Hellenic Paideia - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 μαβής - Babiniotis, Georgios (2008) Λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας: […] (in Greek), 3rd edition, Athens: Kentro Lexikologias [Lexicology Centre], 1st edition 1998, →ISBN.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kechagioglou, Georgios (2000) “Μαβής ουρανός, μαβιά θάλασσα, μαβιά μάτια. Η «ανακάλυψη» του ιώδους ή Περί της αχρωματοψίας σύγχρονων λεξικών στο γαλανό-γαλάζιο ["Mavis" sky, "mavia" sea, "mavia" eyes. The "discovery" of violet or On the colour blindness of modern dictionaries regarding azures]”, in Μικροφιλολογικά [Mikrofilologika] (in Greek), volume 7, Nicosia, pages 5-9
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Sarantakos, Nikos (2022 May 9) “Ποιο χρώμα είναι το μαβί; [Which colour is "mavi"?]”, in Οι λέξεις έχουν τη δική τους ιστορία[1] (in Greek)