ὀρφανός Ancient Greek · revision 2240

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Homer, Odyssey|origins=ine-pro *h₃órbʰos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /or.pʰa.nós/^(Wiktionary)

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

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /or.faˈnos/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ὀρφᾰνός''' (orphanós) ''m'' (feminine ὀρφᾰνή, neuter ὀρφᾰνόν); first/second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ine-pro|*h₃órbʰos|t=orphan, bereft]],^(Wiktionary)^(Beekes 2010) enlarged in Greek with the adjective suffix -ανός: Hesychius' glosses ὀρφοβόται “guardians of orphans” and ὤρφωσεν “made an orphan” point to an older *ὀρφος of the same meaning.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)

+

+ This *ὀρφος matches Old Armenian [[m|xcl|որբ|tr=orb|t=orphan]] and Latin [[m|la|orbus|t=orphaned, bereft]] exactly.^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary) A derivative of the same word gave the Celtic and Germanic words for “inheritance” and “heir”, such as Gothic [[m|got|𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌹|tr=arbi|t=inheritance]] and [[m|got|𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌾𐌰|tr=arbja|t=heir]].^(Beekes 2010)^(Frisk 1960) Following Melchert, Beekes takes the root to be the verb seen in Hittite ḫarp- “to change allegiance, join with”; its derivative came to mean “bereft, orphan” in Greek and Latin, but “inheritance, heir” in Celtic and Germanic.^(Beekes 2010)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Odyssey'' has it once, of girls left orphaned in the house.^(Cunliffe 1924)^(LSJ 1940) Hesiod speaks of orphaned children.^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Classical Greek it was used, mostly as a noun, for a child who had lost its parents.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) Plato's ''Laws'' and Aristotle deal with the care of orphans, and the law code of Gortyn has “orphan-judges”.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)^(Beekes 2010) It could be used of a young bird, and of a house or a parent left childless.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) Sophocles has a nest “orphaned” of its chicks.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021) With a genitive it means bereft of anything: of companions, of knowledge, and in Pindar even “free of” insolence.^(LSJ 1940) Plato calls an argument whose author is dead an orphan.^(CGL 2021)

+

+ The Septuagint always uses it for the Hebrew word for “orphan”.^(Lust 2003) In the New Testament orphans are named with widows as those most in need of protection, and figuratively it is one left without anyone to support him.^(BDAG 2000)^(UBS 2023)

+

+ Medieval vernacular Greek also had the form αρφανός, and used the word for an orphan, a parent bereft of a child and a person deserted.^(Kriaras) Modern Greek [[m|el|ορφανός|tr=orfanós]] means orphaned and, figuratively, bereft of someone dear.^(Triantafyllidis 1998) English ''orphan'' came from it through Late Latin ''orphanus'' around 1300.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Homer – The ''Odyssey'' uses it of orphaned girls.^(Cunliffe 1924)^(LSJ 1940)

+ * Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod speaks of orphaned children.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 6th–5th century BC – Pindar uses it for childless.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 5th–4th century BC – Plato deals with the care of orphans in the ''Laws''.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 1st century AD – The New Testament names orphans with widows.^(BDAG 2000)

+ * c. 1300 – English ''orphan'' is first recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|orphan|alt=Orphaned]], without parents, and as a noun, an orphan.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(with genitive)'' Bereft of a father or parents.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # Bereft of children, childless; of a house or nest, left empty.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(with genitive)'' Bereft of anything, without.^(LSJ 1940)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Neglected; of an argument, whose author is dead.^(LSJ 1940)^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(New Testament)'' Without anyone to support one.^(UBS 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ὀρφανία|tr=orphanía]]

+ * [[ὀρφανίζω|tr=orphanízō]]

+ * [[ὀρφανιστής|tr=orphanistḗs]]

+ * [[ὀρφανοφύλαξ|tr=orphanophúlax]]

+ * [[ὀρφανικός|tr=orphanikós]]

+ * [[ὀρφανεύω|tr=orphaneúō]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[la|orbus]]

+ * [[en|orphan]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}