παῖς

Pronunciation

• IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /pâi̯s/^[1]
• IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈpɛs/^[1]
• IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈpes/^[1]

Forms

παῖς (paîs) m or f (genitive παιδός); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *pā́wits.^[1] The two-syllable epic, Lesbian and Boeotian form πάϊς (páïs) points to an original *παϝιδ- (*pawid-); the stem without the /d/ is seen in Attic παῦς (paûs) on a vase inscription and in the Cypriot name Φιλόπαϝος (Philópawos).^[2][3]

Beekes traces it to Indo-European Proto-Indo-European *peh₂u- (“few, little”), with the same enlargement as παῦρος (paûros, “few, small”); related are Latin paucus (“few”), pauper (“poor”) and Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹 (fawai, “few”).^[2][3] Whether puer (“boy”) belongs here is uncertain according to Beekes;^[2] Wiktionary also compares Sanskrit पुत्र (putrá, “son”) and Avestan puθra (puθra, “son”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it from the first book of the Iliad (1.20) for a child, a son and, more rarely, a daughter.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Besides “child” it meant a slave or servant.^[2][1] Several affectionate diminutives partly replaced it: παιδίον (paidíon) (Ionic and Attic), παιδίσκη (paidískē) “girl”, and παιδάριον (paidárion) “little boy” (Attic).^[2] It is the first part of παιδαγωγός (paidagōgós), a children's attendant or schoolteacher.^[2]

In the New Testament it is a boy or youth, a son or daughter, and a servant, especially one who obeys God completely.^[5] Modern Greek παις is a learned word.^[6]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it for a child, son or daughter.^[4][2]
• Classical – Attic vase inscriptions have the form παῦς.^[2]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it for a child and a servant.^[5]
• Modern Greek – παις survives as a learned word.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A child; a boy, youth.^[2][5]
2. A son; more rarely a daughter, a girl.^[2][5]
3. A slave, servant.^[2][1]
4. (New Testament) A servant of God.^[5]

Word family

• ἀνδρόπαις (andrópais)
• ἀντίπαις (antípais)
• ἄπαις (ápais)
• αὐτόπαις (autópais)
• βοτρυόπαις (botruópais)
• βούπαις (boúpais)
• δίπαις (dípais)
• εὔπαις (eúpais)
• εὐφιλόπαις (euphilópais)
• ἰσόπαις (isópais)
• καλλίπαις (kallípais)
• μονόπαις (monópais)
• ὀλιγόπαις (oligópais)
• παίγνιον (paígnion)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
5. ^ a b c d e Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
6. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki