εὐγενής

See also: ευγενής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From εὐ- (eu-, well) + γένος (génos, birth, offspring, stock) + -ής (-ḗs, adjective suffix) from γίγνομαι (gígnomai, become). Compare Εὐγένιος (Eugénios).

Pronunciation

 

Adjective

εὐγενής • (eugenḗs) m or f (neuter εὐγενές); third declension

  1. well-born, noble
    • 412 BCE, Euripides, Helen 136:
      φασίν, βρόχῳ γ’ ἅψασαν εὐγενῆ δέρην.
      phasín, brókhōi g’ hápsasan eugenê dérēn.
      Yes, they say she tied a noose around her noble neck.
  2. (in Tragedy, figurative) noble-minded, generous
    • 442 BCE, Sophocles, Antigone 38:
      εἴτ’ εὐγενὴς πέφυκας
      eít’ eugenḕs péphukas
      whether you are noble-minded.
  3. (of animals) well-bred, thoroughbred
    • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 25:
      ὥσπερ [] ἵππος εὐγενής
      hṓsper [] híppos eugenḗs
      as a thoroughbred horse
  4. (of a wife, figurative) fertile, fecund
    • 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Cato the Younger 25.2:
      ὥσπερ εὐγενῆ χώραν ἐντεκνώσασθαι παράσχῃ
      hṓsper eugenê khṓran enteknṓsasthai paráskhēi
      to give her in turn to him as noble soil for the production of children

Inflection

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • εὐγένεια (eugéneia, noun)
  • εὐγενίᾱ (eugeníā, noun)
  • εὐγενῶς (eugenôs, adverb)

Descendants

  • Greek: ευγενής (evgenís)

References

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