φάντασμα

Forms

φᾰ́ντᾰσμᾰ (phántasma) n (genitive φᾰντᾰ́σμᾰτος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek φαντάζω (phantázō, “to make visible”) + -μα (-ma).^[1][2] φαντάζω (phantázō) is itself built on φαντός (phantós, “visible”), the verbal adjective of φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, bring to light”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Aeschylus' Seven against Thebes it names the visions of dreams, and elsewhere in Aeschylus night phantoms.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In tragedy it means an apparition or phantom, as in Euripides' Hecuba, and was used like the older related φάσμα (phásma).^[3][5][2] Plato uses it of the shadowy phantoms of souls seen around tombs, of reflections and images, of illusions as opposed to true likenesses, and, like φαντασία (phantasíā), of a mental image or impression.^[3][5] Aristotle uses it of dreams and of phenomena in the air.^[3][5] In the Gospels the disciples take Jesus walking on the sea for a ghost.^[6][7]

It passed into Latin phantasma.^[1] Modern Greek φάντασμα (fántasma) is a learned word for a ghost; its other senses were modelled on French fantôme.^[8]

Timeline

• 6th–5th century BC – Aeschylus uses it of dream visions and night phantoms.^[3][9]
• 5th century BC – Euripides uses it of an apparition.^[3][5][9]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of the phantoms of souls, of illusions and of mental images.^[3][5][9]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of dreams.^[3][5][9]
• 1st century AD – Matthew and Mark use it of a ghost seen on the sea.^[6]
• Modern Greek – φάντασμα (fántasma) means a ghost.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. An apparition, phantom, ghost.^[3][5][6]
2. A vision seen in a dream.^[3][5]
3. An image or likeness, such as a reflection or a painting; an appearance or illusion.^[5][3]
4. A mental image, an impression.^[5][3]
5. (plural) Phenomena in the air; portents.^[3]

Related words

• φαντάζω (phantázō)
• φαίνω (phaínō)
• φάσμα (phásma)
• φαντασία (phantasíā)
• Latin phantasma

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ a b c 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
7. ^ United Bible Societies (2023), UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (revised Louw–Nida semantic domains), open-licence ed.
8. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
9. ^ a b c d Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge