ἀληθής

See also: αληθής

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἀλᾱθάς (alāthás) — Doric

Etymology

In form it would be from ἀ- (a-, “un-”) + *ληθής (*lēthḗs), from *λῆθος (*lêthos, “concealment, forgetfulness”) + -ής (-ḗs), the former component from λήθη (lḗthē, “oblivion, forgetfulness”), thus "unconcealed, unforgotten"; see the latter for more.^[1] Compare also λήθω (lḗthō), λανθάνω (lanthánō).

Adjective

ᾰ̓ληθής • (alēthḗs) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓ληθές); third declension

(of things) true, real, genuine
(of people) truthful, honest
- 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 217e:
  οἶνος […] ἦν ἀληθής
  oînos […] ên alēthḗs
  Wine is truthful. (in vino veritas)

Declension

Third declension of ᾰ̓ληθής; ᾰ̓ληθές (contracted, Attic)

Number	Singular		Dual		Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ᾰ̓ληθής alēthḗs	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς alētheîs	ᾰ̓ληθῆ alēthê
Genitive	ᾰ̓ληθοῦς alēthoûs	ᾰ̓ληθοῦς alēthoûs	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθῶν alēthôn	ᾰ̓ληθῶν alēthôn
Dative	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ / ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν alēthési(n)	ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ / ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν alēthési(n)
Accusative	ᾰ̓ληθῆ alēthê	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς alētheîs	ᾰ̓ληθῆ alēthê
Vocative	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ alētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς alētheîs	ᾰ̓ληθῆ alēthê
Derived forms	Adverb		Comparative		Superlative
Derived forms	ᾰ̓ληθῶς alēthôs		ᾰ̓ληθέστερος alēthésteros		ᾰ̓ληθέστᾰτος alēthéstatos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ᾰ̓ληθής; ᾰ̓ληθές (uncontracted, Epic)

Number	Singular		Dual		Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ᾰ̓ληθής alēthḗs	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέε alētheî / alēthée	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέε alētheî / alēthée	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς / ᾰ̓ληθέες alētheîs / alēthées	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ alēthéa
Genitive	ᾰ̓ληθέος / ᾰ̓ληθεῦς alēthéos / alētheûs	ᾰ̓ληθέος / ᾰ̓ληθεῦς alēthéos / alētheûs	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθέων alēthéōn	ᾰ̓ληθέων alēthéōn
Dative	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέῐ̈ alētheî / alēthéï	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέῐ̈ alētheî / alēthéï	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν alēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ / ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν alēthési(n)	ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ / ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν alēthési(n)
Accusative	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ alēthéa	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέε alētheî / alēthée	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέε alētheî / alēthée	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰς alēthéas	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ alēthéa
Vocative	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθές alēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέε alētheî / alēthée	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ / ᾰ̓ληθέε alētheî / alēthée	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς / ᾰ̓ληθέες alētheîs / alēthées	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ alēthéa
Derived forms	Adverb		Comparative		Superlative
Derived forms	ᾰ̓ληθέως alēthéōs		ᾰ̓ληθέστερος alēthésteros		ᾰ̓ληθέστᾰτος alēthéstatos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Antonyms

ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, untrue; deceived, misled”)
ψυδρός (psudrós, “false, untrue; lying, deceitful”)

Derived terms

ᾰ̓λήθεια (alḗtheia)
ᾰ̓ληθῶς (alēthôs, adverb)

Descendants

Greek: αληθής (alithís), αληθινός (alithinós)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀληθής”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 65-6