ἐμφαίνω

Forms

ἐμφαίνω (emphaínō) ^[1] Future middle ἐμφανήσομαι (Philodemus).^[2] Arcadian inscriptions of the 4th century BC write the prefix as ⟨ἰμφ-⟩, and other inscriptions spell the verb ⟨ἐνφ-⟩.^[3]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-, “in”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, make visible”).^[1] Beekes counts it among the many prefixed compounds of φαίνω (phaínō), and lists ἐμφανής (emphanḗs) “visible, evident” as formed from it.^[4]

The simple verb is formed from a stem φαν- (phan-) with a present in *phan-i̯e/o-, which Beekes traces to Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, appear”).^[4] Cognate with Sanskrit भाति (bhā́ti, “shines”) and Armenian բանամ (banam, “to open, reveal”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest example is in Empedocles, in the 5th century BC, of making the lovely form of limbs visible.^[3] Plato's Timaeus uses it of colours displayed as in a mirror.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In Classical prose the passive meant “to be seen in a mirror” or in water, “to be reflected”, as in Plato's Republic and Xenophon, and also “to become visible, be manifested”.^[2] From showing something to the eye the active moved to showing it to the mind: Aristotle and Theophrastus use it of giving an impression or displaying a quality, and Polybius of showing goodwill or indicating a fact.^[2][3] Aristotle's passive also means “to be implied in” a category or definition.^[2] In legal inscriptions from Arcadia and Opus it meant “to denounce” an offender to the magistrates.^[3][2]

The Septuagint has it of something becoming manifest, and Christian writers such as Athanasius use it of the Son revealing himself through the Father.^[5][3] Its derivative ἔμφασις (émphasis) “appearance, reflection, emphasis” is found from Aristotle on.^[4]

Medieval vernacular Greek kept the verb, meaning “to show, reveal”, “to give off” light, and intransitively “to appear” or “to look like”.^[6] In Modern Greek εμφαίνω (emfaíno) is a learned word, used only in the present stem, meaning “to show, make evident”, and in the phrase “it is evident that”.^[7]

Timeline

• 5th century BC – Empedocles uses it of making a body visible.^[3]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of colours displayed as in a mirror, and the passive of reflections in water and mirrors.^[2][3]
• 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it of giving an impression of length, and the passive of what is implied in a category.^[2][3]
• 4th century BC – Arcadian inscriptions use it of denouncing an offender to the magistrates.^[3]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses it of showing goodwill and of indicating a fact.^[2][3]
• 4th century AD – Athanasius uses it of the Son revealing himself.^[3]
• 1100–1669 – Vernacular texts use it for “to show”, “to give off light” and “to appear”.^[6]
• Modern Greek – It survives as a learned word meaning “to make evident”.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To exhibit or display in something, as in a mirror; to make visible.^[2][3]
2. To show or give an impression of a quality.^[2][3]
3. To indicate, make clear, especially in words.^[2][3]
4. (law) To denounce an offender or lay information before an authority.^[3][2]
5. (middle and passive) To be reflected, seen in a mirror or in water.^[2]
6. (middle and passive) To become visible, be manifested; impersonally, “it is evident”.^[2]
7. (middle and passive) To be implied or exemplified in something.^[2]

Word family

• ἐμφανής (emphanḗs)
• ἐμφανίζω (emphanízō)
• ἔμφασις (émphasis)
• ἐμφάνισις (emphánisis)
• ἐμφατικός (emphatikós)

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
4. ^ a b c d 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
5. ^ Lust, Johan; Eynikel, Erik; Hauspie, Katrin (2003), Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint, rev. ed., Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
6. ^ a b Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
7. ^ a b Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki