προφήτης

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 27 August 2016

Alternative forms

Etymology

From προ- (pro-, before) + φημί (phēmí, I say) + -της (-tēs, -er, masculine agent-noun suffix).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

προφήτης • (prophḗtēs) m (genitive προφήτου); first declension

  1. one who speaks for and interprets the will of a god: prophet, seer
    • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, The Eumenides 19:
      Διὸς προφήτης δ’ ἐστὶ Λοξίας πατρός
      Diòs prophḗtēs d’ estì Loxías patrós
      But Loxias is the spokesman of Zeus, his father.
  2. one of the keepers of the oracle at Branchidae
  3. priest at an Egyptian temple
  4. one who interprets the ravings of a μάντις (mántis, oracle)
    • 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 72a:
      ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τὸ τῶν προφητῶν γένος ἐπὶ ταῖς ἐνθέοις μαντείαις κριτὰς ἐπικαθιστάναι νόμος
      hóthen dḕ kaì tò tôn prophētôn génos epì taîs enthéois manteíais kritàs epikathistánai nómos
      Wherefore also it is customary to set the tribe of prophets to pass judgement upon these inspired divinations.
  5. interpreter, proclaimer
    • 405 BCE, Euripides, The Bacchae 211:
      ἐπεὶ σὺ φέγγος, Τειρεσία, τόδ’ οὐχ ὁρᾷς, ἐγὼ προφήτης σοι λόγων γενήσομαι
      epeì sù phéngos, Teiresía, tód’ oukh horâis, egṑ prophḗtēs soi lógōn genḗsomai
      Since you do not see this light, Teiresias, I will be your interpreter.
  6. (Christianity) prophet
    • 53 CE – 55 CE, Paul the Apostle, First Epistle to the Corinthians 14:32:
      καὶ πνεύματα προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται
      kaì pneúmata prophētôn prophḗtais hupotássetai
      The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
  7. herbalist
    • Ps.-Dsc. 1.10

Inflection

Synonyms

  • προφήτωρ (prophḗtōr)

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek προφήτης (prophḗtēs).

Noun

προφήτης • (profítis) m (plural προφήτες)

  1. prophet

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

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