ψόφος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Like ψεῦδος (pseûdos) and ψύθος (psúthos), it may originally be onomatopoeic and somehow belong with the interjection ψό (psó). Alternatively, Petersson derives the word from Proto-Indo-European *bʰes-, like ψύχω (psúkhō, “to breathe, blow”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /psó.pʰos/ → /ˈpso.ɸos/ → /ˈpso.fos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /psó.pʰos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpso.pʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpso.ɸos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpso.fos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpso.fos/

Noun

ψόφος • (psóphos) m (genitive ψόφου); second declension

1. sounds or noises not produced by the human voice: clattering, rattling, knocking, crashing

Declension

Second declension of ὁ ψόφος; τοῦ ψόφου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ψόφος ho psóphos	τὼ ψόφω tṑ psóphō	οἱ ψόφοι hoi psóphoi
Genitive	τοῦ ψόφου toû psóphou	τοῖν ψόφοιν toîn psóphoin	τῶν ψόφων tôn psóphōn
Dative	τῷ ψόφῳ tôi psóphōi	τοῖν ψόφοιν toîn psóphoin	τοῖς ψόφοις toîs psóphois
Accusative	τὸν ψόφον tòn psóphon	τὼ ψόφω tṑ psóphō	τοὺς ψόφους toùs psóphous
Vocative	ψόφε psóphe	ψόφω psóphō	ψόφοι psóphoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἄψοφος (ápsophos)
• ψόφαξ (psóphax)
• ψοφέω (psophéō)
• ψόφημα (psóphēma)
• ψόφησις (psóphēsis)
• ψοφητικός (psophētikós)
• ψοφοδέεια (psophodéeia)
• ψοφοδεής (psophodeḗs)
• ψοφοειδής (psophoeidḗs)
• ψοφομήδης (psophomḗdēs)
• ψοφώδης (psophṓdēs)

 

Descendants

• Greek: ψόφος (psófos)

References

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

Greek

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpso.fos/
• Hyphenation: ψό‧φος

Etymology 1

Inherited from Byzantine Greek ψόφος (psóphos, “loud noise”), from Ancient Greek ψοφῶ (psophô, “to make loud noise”). The senses, since mediaeval times. Also see ψοφάω (psofáo).

Noun

ψόφος • (psófos) m (plural ψόφοι) (usually in the singular)

1. (colloquial) death (especially for animals)
2. (colloquial) freezing cold, chill

   Κάνει ψόφο έξω!

   Kánei psófo éxo!

   It's freezing cold outside!

Declension

Declension of ψόφος

	singular	plural
nominative	ψόφος •	ψόφοι •
genitive	ψόφου •	ψόφων •
accusative	ψόφο •	ψόφους •
vocative	ψόφε •	ψόφοι •
Found in the singular. Spuriously in the plural.

Synonyms

• (death): θάνατος m (thánatos), θανατικό n (thanatikó)
• (freezing cold): ψοφόκρυο m (psofókryo), παγωνιά f (pagoniá)

Derived terms

• κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει (kakó skylí psófo den échei, “a creaking door hangs longest”) (literally, 'a bad dog doesn't have death')
• κακό ψόφο να 'χεις (kakó psófo na 'cheis, “may you perish badly!”)

Related terms

• see: ψοφάω (psofáo, “I die off”)

Etymology 2

Learnedly, from Ancient Greek ψόφος (psóphos), from ψό (psó, “pshaw! interjection of contempt and disgust”), of uncertain etymon.

Noun

ψόφος • (psófos) m (plural ψόφοι)

1. (physiology, medicine or obsolete) noise

   μυϊκός ψόφος ― myïkós psófos ― muscular noise

Declension

Declension of ψόφος

	singular	plural
nominative	ψόφος •	ψόφοι •
genitive	ψόφου •	ψόφων •
accusative	ψόφο •	ψόφους •
vocative	ψόφε •	ψόφοι •

Synonyms

Not related to medicine or physiology:

• θόρυβος m (thóryvos, “noise”)
• φασαρία f (fasaría, “noise”)