σοφία Ancient Greek · revision 2236

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Homer, Iliad|origins=grc σοφός}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /so.pʰí.aː/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /soˈɸi.a/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /soˈfi.a/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''σοφῐ́ᾱ''' (sophíā) ''f'' (genitive σοφῐ́ᾱς); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+ Ionic σοφίη.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|grc|σοφός|-ία|tr1=sophós|tr2=-íā|t1=skilled, clever, wise]].^(Wiktionary)^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ The adjective σοφός has no etymology: Indo-European explanations have failed, and if [[Σίσυφος|tr=Sísuphos]] and [[σάφα|tr=sápha|t=clearly]] are related, it would be a substrate word.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Homer has it once, of the skill of a carpenter who “knows all his craft well”.^(LSJ 1940)^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense is skill in a craft or art: the skill of the Telchines in Pindar, of Hephaestus and Athena in Plato, of Daedalus in Xenophon, and skill in music and song, poetry, driving, medicine and divination.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) From this it came to mean sound judgement and practical wisdom, such as was attributed to the Seven Sages, in Theognis and Herodotus, and also cunning.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) In the Classical period it became learning and wisdom: Plato's Socrates speaks of a wisdom greater than human, and Aristotle of wisdom as the excellence of an art and as speculative thought.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) Euripides and Aristophanes personify it as a goddess.^(CGL 2021) Compounded with [[φίλος|tr=phílos]] it gave [[φιλόσοφος|tr=philósophos]] and [[φιλοσοφία|tr=philosophía]].^(Beekes 2010)

+

+ In the Septuagint it is skill, human wisdom and above all the wisdom of God, which in the Wisdom of Solomon is personified as the agent of creation.^(Lust 2003) The New Testament sets the wisdom of this world against the wisdom of God, and Moses is said to have been taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians.^(BDAG 2000)^(Πάπυρος)

+

+ Medieval Greek used it for knowledge and learning, and “the outer wisdom” was secular learning as opposed to that of the Church.^(Kriaras) Modern Greek [[m|el|σοφία|tr=sofía]] means wisdom, including the popular wisdom of proverbs.^(Triantafyllidis 1998) Churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom gave the name “Saint Sophia”, and English ''-sophy'' comes from it through Latin and French.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' uses it for a carpenter's skill.^(LSJ 1940)

+ * 7th–6th century BC – Solon uses it for skill in poetry.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 6th century BC – Theognis uses it for practical wisdom.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for the wisdom of the sages and for cunning.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 5th–4th century BC – Plato contrasts wisdom with ignorance.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 1st century AD – Paul contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God.^(BDAG 2000)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Skill in a craft or art, as in carpentry, music, poetry, medicine or divination.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Sound judgement, practical wisdom; cunning.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Learning, [[m|en|wisdom]].^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(personified)'' Wisdom.^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(Koine)'' The wisdom of God, and Wisdom as a divine agent.^(Lust 2003)^(BDAG 2000)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ἀσοφία|tr=asophía]]

+ * [[φιλοσοφία|tr=philosophíā]]

+ * [[θεοσοφία|tr=theosophíā]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ἀσόφιστος|tr=asóphistos]]

+ * [[σεσοφισμένως|tr=sesophisménōs]]

+ * [[σοφίζω|tr=sophízō]]

+ * [[σόφισμα|tr=sóphisma]]

+ * [[σοφιστεύω|tr=sophisteúō]]

+ * [[σοφιστής|tr=sophistḗs]]

+ * [[σοφόω|tr=sophóō]]

+ * [[σοφός|tr=sophós]]

+ * [[en|theosophy]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Hesychius explains it as every art and science.^(Hesychius) Byzantine etymologists derived σοφός from [[σέβομαι|tr=sébomai|t=to revere]], “because we all revere the wise”.^(Etygram)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}