νηφάλιος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • νηφαλέος (nēphaléos), νήφαλος (nḗphalos) (both very rare)

Etymology

From νήφω (nḗphō, to be sober, to abstain from wine, to be self-controlled) + -άλιος (-álios). This family of words pertaining to sobriety (including also νήφων m (nḗphōn), νηφαίνω (nēphaínō, verb)) are related to Old Armenian նաւթի (nawtʻi, fasting, adjective). Ultimately, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *n-H(H)gʷʰ-ti-o- or from Proto-Indo-European *h₁egʷʰ- (to drink) prefixed with the negative particle *n̥-.

Pronunciation

 

Adjective

νηφάλιος • (nēphálios) m (feminine νηφαλία, neuter νηφάλιον); first/second declension

  1. (of people) sober, not inebriated
  2. unmixed with wine, wineless
    νηφάλιαι θυσίαιnēpháliai thusíaiwineless libations/sacrifices
    νηφάλια θύεινnēphália thúeinto offer wineless libations
    νηφάλια μειλίγματαnēphália meilígmataofferings of water, milk, and honey to the Eumenides
    νηφάλιος κρατήρnēphálios kratḗrkrater containing liquids unmixed with wine
    νηφάλια ξύλαnēphália xúlawood other than vine twigs, burned in sacrifices

Declension

Derived terms

  • νηφαλιότης f (nēphaliótēs, sobriety)
  • νηφαλίως (nēphalíōs, in a sober manner, adverb)
  • νηφαλιεύω (nēphalieúō, to offer wineless libations, verb)
  • νηφαλιεύς (nēphalieús, sober (as an epithet of Apollo), adjective)

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek νηφάλιος (nēphálios).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /niˈfa.li.os/
  • Hyphenation: νη‧φά‧λι‧ος

Adjective

νηφάλιος • (nifálios) m (feminine νηφάλια, neuter νηφάλιο)

  1. calm, astute, sober, collected, dispassionate
    νηφάλια σκέψηnifália sképsia sober thought
  2. sober, not drunk

Declension

Further reading

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