περιφέρεια

See also: περιφερείᾳ

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 20 January 2023

Alternative forms

• περιφερείη (periphereíē) — Ionic

Etymology

From περιφερής (peripherḗs, “circular; rounded; revolving; wavering”) +‎ -ια (-ia), from περιφέρω (periphérō, “to carry round; revolve; wander”), from περι- (peri-, “around, surrounding”) +‎ φέρω (phérō, “to carry, bear”) from Proto-Hellenic *pʰérō (“to bear”) from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pe.ri.pʰé.reː.a/ → /pe.riˈɸe.ri.a/ → /pe.riˈfe.ri.a/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pe.ri.pʰé.reː.a/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pe.riˈpʰe.ri.a/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /pe.riˈɸe.ri.a/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /pe.riˈfe.ri.a/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /pe.riˈfe.ri.a/

Noun

περιφέρεια • (periphéreia) f (genitive περιφερείᾱς); first declension (Attic, Doric, Aeolic)

1. a periphery; outer bounds
2. (mathematics, geometry) circumference; the line round a circular body
3. (mathematics, geometry) arc of a circle; circular arc
4. rounded surface; curve; curved or spherical shape
5. curvature; roundness
6. (figurative, biblical) wandering; error; madness
   • 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Ecclesiastes 9.3:

     Τοῦτο πονηρὸν ἐν παντὶ πεποιημένῳ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὅτι συνάντημα ἓν τοῖς πᾶσι· καί γε καρδία υἱῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπληρώθη πονηροῦ, καὶ περιφέρεια ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ ὀπίσω αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς νεκρούς.

     Toûto ponēròn en pantì pepoiēménōi hupò tòn hḗlion, hóti sunántēma hèn toîs pâsi; kaí ge kardía huiôn toû anthrṓpou eplērṓthē ponēroû, kaì periphéreia en kardíāi autôn en zōêi autôn, kaì opísō autôn pròs toùs nekroús.

     This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that they go to the dead.

Inflection

First declension of ἡ περῐφέρειᾰ; τῆς περῐφερείᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ περῐφέρειᾰ hē periphéreia	τὼ περῐφερείᾱ tṑ periphereíā	αἱ περῐφέρειαι hai periphéreiai
Genitive	τῆς περῐφερείᾱς tês periphereíās	τοῖν περῐφερείαιν toîn periphereíain	τῶν περῐφερειῶν tôn periphereiôn
Dative	τῇ περῐφερείᾳ têi periphereíāi	τοῖν περῐφερείαιν toîn periphereíain	ταῖς περῐφερείαις taîs periphereíais
Accusative	τὴν περῐφέρειᾰν tḕn periphéreian	τὼ περῐφερείᾱ tṑ periphereíā	τᾱ̀ς περῐφερείᾱς tā̀s periphereíās
Vocative	περῐφέρειᾰ periphéreia	περῐφερείᾱ periphereíā	περῐφέρειαι periphéreiai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: περιφέρεια (periféreia)
• Latin: peripheria
  • Catalan: perifèria
  • French: périphérie
  • Galician: periferia
  • Italian: periferia
  • Portuguese: periferia
  • Romanian: periferie
  • Russian: периферия (periferija)
  • Spanish: periferia
• English: periphery
• Dutch: periferie
• Danish: periferi

Further reading

• “περιφέρεια”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “περιφέρεια”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• περιφέρεια in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

Greek

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek περιφέρεια (periphéreia), from περιφέρω (periphérō, “to carry round; revolve; wander”), περι- (peri-, “around, surrounding”) +‎ φέρω (féro, “to carry, bear”) +‎ -εια (-eia); verbal root from Proto-Hellenic *pʰérō (“to bear”) from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pe.ɾiˈfe.ɾi.a/
• Hyphenation: πε‧ρι‧φέ‧ρει‧α

Noun

περιφέρεια • (periféreia) f (plural περιφέρειες)

1. (geometry) circumference
2. region, territory
3. periphery, region an administrative unit of a state.
4. waistline

Usage notes

• (administrative area): Each περιφέρεια (periféreia, “periphery”) may be divided into νομοί (nomoí, “nomes”), each of which is divided into επαρχίες (eparchíes, “eparchies”).

Declension

Declension of περιφέρεια

	singular	plural
nominative	περιφέρεια •	περιφέρειες •
genitive	περιφέρειας •	περιφερειών •
accusative	περιφέρεια •	περιφέρειες •
vocative	περιφέρεια •	περιφέρειες •

Synonyms

• (region, territory) περιοχή (periochí)

Coordinate terms

• περίμετρος f (perímetros) (perimeter)
• περιμετρικός f (perimetrikós) (peripheral)
• διάμετρος f (diámetros) (diameter)
• ακτίνα f (aktína) (radius)

Derived terms

• περιφερειακός (perifereiakós, “regional, peripheral”)
• περιφερειάρχης (perifereiárchis, “regional administrator, governor”)

Further reading

• Περιφέρειες της Ελλάδας on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el
• περιφέρεια, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language