πόθεν

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See also: ποθεν and ποθέν

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kʷos (“which”) +‎ -θεν (-then, ablative adverb suffix). Compare its indefinite form ποθέν (pothén).[1]

Pronunciation

 

Adverb

πόθεν • (póthen) (interrogative adverb)

  1. whence?, from where?
  2. whence?, from what source?
  3. wherefore?, why?, how?, for what reason?, how come?

Usage notes

  • This word can be used to introduce direct and indirect questions. ὁπόθεν (hopóthen) can only introduce indirect questions.
  • Object generally takes the genitive case.

See also

Ancient Greek correlatives (edit)
type interrogative indefinite (medial)
demonstrative		 proximal
demonstrative		 distal
demonstrative		 relative indefinite
relative		 identity other
basic τίς τις, ἔνιοι †ὁ, οὗτος ὅδε ἐκεῖνος ὅς ὅστις ὁ αὐτός (αὑτός), ὁμός ἕτερος, ἄλλος
dual πότερος πότερος, ποτερός ὁπότερος
quality ποῖος ποιός †τοῖος, τοιοῦτος τοιόσδε οἷος ὁποῖος ὅμοιος ἑτεροῖος, ἀλλοῖος
quantity πόσος ποσός †τόσος, τοσοῦτος τοσόσδε ὅσος ὁπόσος
manner πῶς πως †τώς, †ὥς, οὕτως ὧδε ὡς ὅπως ὁμῶς ἑτέρως, ἄλλως
method,
path,
place 		πῇ πῃ τῇ, ταύτῃ τῇδε ἐκείνῃ ᾗ ὅπῃ ἄλλῃ
place ποῦ, †πόθι που, †ποθι ἐνταῦθα ἐνθάδε ἐκεῖ, ἔνθα, †ἐκεῖθι οὗ, ἔνθα, †ὅθι ὅπου, †ὁπόθι αὐτόθι, ὁμοῦ ἄλλοθι
source πόθεν ποθεν †τόθεν, ἔνθεν, ἐντεῦθεν ἐνθένδε ἐκεῖθεν ὅθεν ὁπόθεν †ὁμόθεν ἄλλοθεν
destination ποῖ, †πόσε ποι ἔνθα, ἐνταῦθα ἐνθάδε, δεῦρο ἐκεῖσε οἷ ὅποι, †ὁπόσε αὐτόσε, ὁμόσε ἄλλοσε
time πότε, πῆμος ποτέ, ποτε, τοτέ, ἐνίοτε τότε, τῆμος τημόσδε ὅτε, ἦμος ὁπότε, †ὁππῆμος ἅμα ἄλλοτε
exact time πηνίκα †τηνίκα, τηνικαῦτα τηνικάδε ἡνίκα ὁπηνίκα αὐτίκα
duration of time τέως ἕως
size, age πηλίκος πηλίκος †τηλίκος, τηλικοῦτος τηλικόσδε ἡλίκος ὁπηλίκος ὁμῆλιξ
repetition ποσάκις, ποσίνδα ποσάκις τουτάκις, τοσάκις †ὁσάκις ὁποσάκις ὁποσάκις
multiplication ποσαπλάσιος ὁσαπλάσιος, ὁσαπλασίων
order πόστος ποστός ὁπόστος
† Forms rarely or never used in Classical Attic prose
Relative also used in exclamations; either relative or indefinite relative used in indirect questions.

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “πόθεν”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1215

Further reading

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