Ἀφροδίτη

See also: Αφροδίτη

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

a-po-ro-ti-si-jo — Cypriot (ICS2 327)
Ἀφορδίτα (Aphordíta) — Crete
Ἀφροδίτα (Aphrodíta) — Aeolic, Doric
Ἀφρόδιτα (Aphródita) — Lesbian Aeolic

Etymology

The theonym is found in Homer and Hesiod (c. 8th century B.C.). Traditionally it has been viewed as a compound, ἀφρο (aphro) +‎ δίτη (dítē), connecting the first part with ἀφρός (aphrós, “sea foam, froth”), according to the legend of the goddess' birth.[1] This has not been accepted by modern scholars.

There is no etymology generally accepted in scholarship. Some such as Beekes propose that the name in its entirety is a loan from a non-Greek language, of probable "oriental origin", possibly Cypriot Phoenician (such as in the Idalion bilingual). A connection to Akkadian 𒀭𒈹 (^dIštar) has been further proposed.[2][3]

An older, now rejected proposal[4][5] of a Greek etymology connects -δίτη (-dítē) with the verb δέατο (déato, “to shine, to appear, seem”) (Homeric δῆλος (dêlos, “visible, conspicuous, clear”)) and interprets the name as originating from an epithet of the dawn goddess Ἠώς (Ēṓs).

Associated by the Romans with Venus, originally a goddess of less meaning and prominence.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.pʰro.dǐː.tɛː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.pʰroˈdi.te̝/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.ɸroˈði.ti/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.froˈði.ti/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.froˈði.ti/

Proper noun

Ᾰ̓φροδῑ́τη • (Aphrodī́tē) f (genitive Ᾰ̓φροδῑ́της); first declension

(Greek mythology) Aphrodite
the planet Venus

Inflection

First declension of ἡ Ἀφροδῑ́τη; τῆς Ἀφροδῑ́της (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ἡ Ἀφροδῑ́τη hē Aphrodī́tē
Genitive	τῆς Ἀφροδῑ́της tês Aphrodī́tēs
Dative	τῇ Ἀφροδῑ́τῃ têi Aphrodī́tēi
Accusative	τὴν Ἀφροδῑ́την tḕn Aphrodī́tēn
Vocative	Ἀφροδῑ́τη Aphrodī́tē
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἀφροδίσιος (aphrodísios)
- ἀφροδίσια (aphrodísia)
- ἀφροδισιάς (aphrodisiás)
- ἀφροδισιακός (aphrodisiakós)
- ἀφροδισιάζω (aphrodisiázō)
  - ἀφροδισιασμός (aphrodisiasmós)
  - ἀφροδισιαστής (aphrodisiastḗs)
  - ἀφροδισιαστικός (aphrodisiastikós)

Descendants

Coptic: ⲁⲫⲣⲟⲇⲓⲧⲏ (aphroditē)
Greek: Αφροδίτη (Afrodíti)
→? Albanian: Afërditë
→ Latin: Aphrodite
→ Russian: Афроди́та (Afrodíta)
→ Translingual: Aphrodita
→ Messapic: 𐌀𐌐𐌓𐌏𐌃𐌉𐌕𐌀 (aprodita)

References

“Ἀφροδίτη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“Ἀφροδίτη”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“Ἀφροδίτη”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
Ἀφροδίτη in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
Ἀφροδίτη in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,001

Paul Kretschmer, “Zum pamphylischen Dialekt”, Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiet der Indogermanischen Sprachen 33 (1895): 267.
Robert Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, vol. 1 (Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2010), 179.
Martin Litchfield West, “The Name of Aphrodite”, Glotta 76 (2000): 134-8.
Ernst Maaß, “Aphrodite und die hl. Pelagia”, Neue Jahrbücher für das klassische Altertum 27 (1911): 457-468.
Vittore Pisani, “Akmon e Dieus”, Archivio glottologico italiano 24 (1930): 65-73.