σφώ

Ancient Greek
second person pronoun (edit)
casesingulardualplural
str.encl.str.str.
nominative σύσφώ, σφῶϊῡ̔μεῖς
genitive σοῦσουσφῷνῡ̔μῶν
dative σοίσοισφῷνῡ̔μῖν
accusative σέσεσφώ, σφῶϊῡ̔μᾶς
adjective σόςσφωΐτεροςῡ̔μέτερος

Alternative forms

Etymology
PIE word
*swé

A conflation of the consonantism of σφεῖς (spheîs, “they”) with the vocalism of νώ (nṓ, “we two”).[1]

Pronunciation
 

Pronoun

σφώ • (sphṓ)

  1. second person dual personal pronoun: you two, both of you, you both
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.335–336:
      ... οὔ τί μοι ὔμμες ἐπαίτιοι ἀλλ’ Ἀγαμέμνων,
      ὃ σφῶϊ προΐει Βρισηΐδος εἵνεκα κούρης.
      ... oú tí moi úmmes epaítioi all’ Agamémnōn,
      hò sphôï proḯei Brisēḯdos heíneka koúrēs.
      [Achilles speaking to Talthybius and Eurybates:]
      To me you aren't blameworthy, but Agamemnon,
      who sent you both for the girl Briseis.

Usage notes

Singular and plural are σῠ́ (sú) and ῡ̔μεῖς (hūmeîs).

Inflection
Irregular declension of σφώ; σφῷν (Attic)
Case / # Dual
Nominative σφώ
sphṓ
Genitive σφῷν
sphôin
Dative σφῷν
sphôin
Accusative σφώ
sphṓ
Vocative σφώ
sphṓ
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.
Irregular declension of σφῶῐ̈; σφῶῐ̈ν (Epic)
Case / # Dual
Nominative σφῶῐ̈ / σφώ
sphôï / sphṓ
Genitive σφῶῐ̈ν / σφῷν
sphôïn / sphôin
Dative σφῶῐ̈ν / σφῷν
sphôïn / sphôin
Accusative σφῶῐ̈ / σφώ
sphôï / sphṓ
Vocative σφῶῐ̈ / σφώ
sphôï / sphṓ
Notes:
  • Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.
  • σφωΐτερος (sphōḯteros, “second person dual possessive adjective”)

References
  1. Rix, Helmut (1976) Historische Grammatik des Griechischen: Laut- und Formenlehre (in German), Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, →ISBN, §192, page 179

Further reading
  • “σφώ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • σφώ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
  • Herbert Weir Smyth & Gordon M. Messing, Greek Grammar, Cambridge, American Book Company, 1920, section 325.
  • William W. Goodwin, A Greek Grammar. Revised and enlarged, Boston, 1900, p.82f.
  • Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1429
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