ἔφηβος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἔφᾱβος (éphābos) — Doric

Etymology

Compound of ἐπί (epí) +‎ ἥβη (hḗbē) +‎ -ος (-os).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /é.pʰɛː.bos/ → /ˈe.ɸi.βos/ → /ˈe.fi.vos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /é.pʰɛː.bos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈe.pʰe̝.bos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.ɸi.βos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.fi.vos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.fi.vos/

Noun

ἔφηβος • (éphēbos) m (genitive ἐφήβου); second declension

1. adolescent (around ages 17-20 traditionally)
2. young Greek soldier undergoing military training (ages 18-20)
3. throw of the dice
4. kind of cup
5. a womanʼs shoe

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ ἔφηβος; τοῦ ἐφήβου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἔφηβος ho éphēbos	τὼ ἐφήβω tṑ ephḗbō	οἱ ἔφηβοι hoi éphēboi
Genitive	τοῦ ἐφήβου toû ephḗbou	τοῖν ἐφήβοιν toîn ephḗboin	τῶν ἐφήβων tôn ephḗbōn
Dative	τῷ ἐφήβῳ tōî ephḗbōi	τοῖν ἐφήβοιν toîn ephḗboin	τοῖς ἐφήβοις toîs ephḗbois
Accusative	τὸν ἔφηβον tòn éphēbon	τὼ ἐφήβω tṑ ephḗbō	τοὺς ἐφήβους toùs ephḗbous
Vocative	ἔφηβε éphēbe	ἐφήβω ephḗbō	ἔφηβοι éphēboi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἀρχέφηβος (arkhéphēbos)
• ἐξέφηβος (exéphēbos)
• ἐφήβαρχος (ephḗbarkhos)
• ἐφηβῐκός (ephēbĭkós)
• ἐφηβοφῠ́λᾰξ (ephēbophŭ́lăx)
• μελλέφηβος (melléphēbos)
• συνέφηβος (sunéphēbos)
• φιλέφηβος (philéphēbos)

Descendants

• Greek: έφηβος (éfivos)
  • → Turkish: efe
• → Latin: ephēbus

Further reading

• “ἔφηβος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ἔφηβος in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette