ἐπιφαίνω

Forms

ἐπιφαίνω (epiphaínō) ^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ἐπι- (epi-, “upon”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, bring to light”).^[1] φαίνω (phaínō) is from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”), which also gave Sanskrit भाति (bhā́ti, “shines”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

LSJ cites the Iliad for the passive, with the prefix apart from the verb: at sunrise the whole battle came into view.^[3] The active, “show oneself”, is first in Theognis in the 6th century BC.^[3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

In Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon the passive is used of an enemy, troops or ships that suddenly come into view, and of help that appears.^[3][4] Herodotus also uses it of figures in dreams and visions, and inscriptions of the 3rd century BC use it of a god who shows his presence, as Artemis did to the people of Magnesia.^[3][6] The Hippocratic writers use the participle for symptoms that appear.^[3] In Polybius and Plutarch the active means to display a quality.^[3][4]

In the Septuagint God is almost always its subject, and the psalmists pray that he may make his face shine on his servants.^[7] In the New Testament it is used of light shining on those in darkness, of the sun and stars appearing, and of the grace of God that has appeared.^[6][7][8] The noun ἐπιφάνεια (epipháneia) “appearance, manifestation” belongs to it.^[7] Medieval Greek kept the post-classical verb.^[9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad uses the passive, with the prefix apart, of a battle coming into view.^[3]
• 6th century BC – Theognis uses the active, of making a show of oneself.^[3][4]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it of troops coming into view and of figures in dreams.^[3][4]
• 5th century BC – The Hippocratic Aphorisms use the participle for symptoms.^[3]
• 3rd century BC – Inscriptions use it of the manifestation of a god.^[3]
• 2nd century BC – Polybius uses the active for displaying a quality.^[3][4]
• 1st century AD – The New Testament uses it of light and of God's grace appearing.^[6][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To display, show forth a quality.^[3][4]
2. (intransitive) To make a show of oneself, appear as such and such.^[4][3]
3. (passive) To come into view, appear suddenly, especially of troops or ships.^[3][4]
4. (passive) Of a god or a figure in a dream: to reveal oneself, show oneself.^[3][4][6]
5. (passive, medicine) Of symptoms: to appear.^[3]
6. (Septuagint, New Testament) To shine upon, give light to.^[6][7][8]

Word family

• ἐπιφάνεια (epipháneia)

Related words

• φαίνω (phaínō)
• English epiphany

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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 c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
5. ^ Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c d e Spicq, Ceslas (1994), Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, tr. James D. Ernest, 3 vols, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b United Bible Societies (2023), UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (revised Louw–Nida semantic domains), open-licence ed.
9. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr