ἀπόφασις

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.pó.pʰa.sis/ → /aˈpo.ɸa.sis/ → /aˈpo.fa.sis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.pó.pʰa.sis/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.pʰa.sis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.ɸa.sis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.fa.sis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈpo.fa.sis/

Etymology 1

ἀπο- (apo-, “away, from, off”) +‎ φᾰ́σῐς (phásis, “appearance; denunciation; accusation”), root φαίνω (phaínō, “bring to light; appear; denounce”) +‎ -σῐς (-sis); form of composed verb ἀποφαίνω (apophaínō, “make known, declare, make clear; produce, render; denounce”), from Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ (“to shine”).

Noun

ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς • (apóphasis) f (genitive ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως); third declension

1. (law) decision, finding, resolution, judgment, sentence, verdict (as of a court)
2. (logic, rhetoric) declaration, predication, assertion, answer
3. list, inventory, catalogue
4. (religion) oracle, prophetic statement, heavenly proclamation
5. appearance, image, apparition

   Synonyms: φάσμα (phásma), φάτις (phátis)

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς; τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως (Koine, Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς hē apóphasis	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ apophásei	αἱ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις hai apopháseis
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως tês apopháseōs	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn apophaséoin	τῶν ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεων tôn apopháseōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει têi apophásei	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn apophaséoin	ταῖς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐ / ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐν taîs apophásesi(n)
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐν tḕn apóphasin	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ apophásei	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις tā̀s apopháseis
Vocative	ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐ apóphasi	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει apophásei	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις apopháseis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Alternative forms

• ἀπόφανσις (apóphansis)

Further reading

• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers

Etymology 2

ἀπο- (apo-, “away, from, off”) +‎ φᾰ́σῐς (phásis, “statement, proposition, assertion”), root φᾰ́ναι (phánai, “say, affirm, assert”) +‎ -σῐς (-sis); form of composed verb ἀπόφημι (apóphēmi, “speak out; say no, refuse, deny”) from Attic Greek φημί (phēmí), Doric Greek φᾱμί (phāmí) from Proto-Hellenic *pʰā́mā from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ (“to speak”); whence via Proto-Italic *fāōr, *fāmā cognate to Latin fārī, fābula, fāma.

Noun

ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς • (apóphasis) f (genitive ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως); third declension

1. (logic, rhetoric) denial, negation, repudiation, exclusion; apophasis, negatory predication, denying a proposition
2. (grammar, linguistics) negative particle; negating sign

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς; τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως (Koine, Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐς hē apóphasis	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ apophásei	αἱ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις hai apopháseis
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεως tês apopháseōs	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn apophaséoin	τῶν ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεων tôn apopháseōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει têi apophásei	τοῖν ᾰ̓ποφᾰσέοιν toîn apophaséoin	ταῖς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐ / ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεσῐν taîs apophásesi(n)
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐν tḕn apóphasin	τὼ ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει tṑ apophásei	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις tā̀s apopháseis
Vocative	ᾰ̓πόφᾰσῐ apóphasi	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σει apophásei	ᾰ̓ποφᾰ́σεις apopháseis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Antonyms

• κατάφασις (katáphasis)

Descendants

• Byzantine Greek: ἀπόφαση (apóphasē)
  • Greek: απόφαση (apófasi)
• → Latin: apophasis
  • English: apophasis
  • French: apophase
  • Galician: apófase
  • → Finnish: apofaasi
  • Portuguese: apófase
  • → Russian: Апофазия (Apofazija)

Further reading

• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀπόφασις”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ἀπόφασις in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • decision idem, page 201.
  • denial idem, page 210.
  • judgment idem, page 465.
  • negation idem, page 554.