ἀπόφασις

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

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

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

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, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • decision idem, page 201.
  • denial idem, page 210.
  • judgment idem, page 465.
  • negation idem, page 554.