Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• φᾰείνω ‎(phaeínō) Epic
• φέγγω ‎(phéngō)

Verb

φαίνω • ‎(phaínō)

1. (transitive) I cause to appear, bring to light; I show, uncover, reveal
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.324

     ἡμῖν μὲν τόδ᾽ ἔφηνε τέρας μέγα μητίετα Ζεὺς ὄψιμον ὀψιτέλεστον

     To us Zeus the counsellor has showed this great sign

   1. (transitive) I make known, reveal, disclose
      • 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1229

        ὅσα κεύθει, τὰ δ᾽ αὐτίκ᾽ εἰς τὸ φῶς φανεῖ κακὰ ἑκόντα κοὐκ ἄκοντα.

        So many are the ills that this house shrouds, or will soon bring to light, ills wrought not unwillingly but on purpose.

   2. (of sound)
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 8.499

        ὁ δ᾽ ὁρμηθεὶς θεοῦ ἤρχετο, φαῖνε δ᾽ ἀοιδήν

        And the minstrel, moved by the god, began, and let his song be heard.

   3. (transitive) Ι show forth, expound
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.295

        νήπιε μηκέτι ταῦτα νοήματα φαῖν᾽ ἐνὶ δήμῳ

        No longer, thou fool, do thou show forth counsels such as these among the folk.

   4. (transitive) I denounce
      • 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 300

        φανῶ σε τοῖς πρυτάνεσιν ἀδεκατεύτους τῶν θεῶν ἱερὰς ἔχοντα κοιλίας.

        I will denounce you to the Prytanes as the owner of sacred tripe, that has not paid tithe.

2. (intransitive) I shine, give light
   • 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 586

     ὁ δ᾽ ἥλιος [...] οὐ φανεῖν ἔφασκεν ὑμῖν, εἰ στρατηγήσει Κλέων.

     and the Sun [...] declared he would not give you light, if Cleon should be your general.

3. (passive) I appear; I shine
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 18.68

     φάνεν δέ οἱ εὐρέες ὦμοι

     and his broad shoulders were exposed

   1. I come into being
      • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 974

        εἰ δ᾽ αὖ φανεὶς δύστηνος, ὡς ἐγὼ 'φάνην

        But if, having been born o misery—as I was born

   2. I come about
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 2.122

        τέλος δ᾽ οὔ πώ τι πέφανται

        and no end thereof has yet been seen

   3. (copulative or control verb) I appear (to be)
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 15.25

        ἀλλὰ σύ γ᾽ ἐλθὼν αὐτὸς ἐπιτρέψειας ἕκαστα δμῳάων ἥ τίς τοι ἀρίστη φαίνεται εἶναι

        Nay, go, and thyself put all thy possessions in the charge of whatsoever one of the handmaids seems to be the best.

      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 9.94

        Νέστωρ, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἀρίστη φαίνετο βουλή

        Nestor, whose rede had of old ever seemed the best

      1. (φαίνεται as interjection) yes; so it appears; apparently
         • '428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 332.e

           ἐναντίον ἄρ᾽ ἐστὶν ἀφροσύνη σωφροσύνης;
           φαίνεται.

           Then the opposite of prudence is folly?
           Apparently.

         • 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 333.c
      2. (late, impersonal) it seems
         • 60 BCE – 7 BCE, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 2.14

Inflection

Synonyms

• (show, reveal): ἀναφαίνω ‎(anaphaínō), ἀποφαίνω ‎(apophaínō), ἐπιφαίνω ‎(epiphaínō), προφαίνω ‎(prophaínō), δείκνῡμῐ ‎(deíknūmi), διαδείκνυμι ‎(diadeíknumi), ἐπιδείκνυμι ‎(epideíknumi), ἀποκαλύπτω ‎(apokalúptō), δηλόω ‎(dēlóō), σημαίνω ‎(sēmaínō), φράζω ‎(phrázō)
• (shine): λάμπω ‎(lámpō), αὐγάζω ‎(augázō), αὐγέω ‎(augéō), φέγγω ‎(phéngō), σελαγέω ‎(selagéō), στίλβω ‎(stílbō), πρέπω ‎(prépō), θέω ‎(théō)
• (seem): δοκέω ‎(dokéō), εἴδομαι ‎(eídomai), ἔοικα ‎(éoika), ἰνδάλλομαι ‎(indállomai), ὑπειδόμην ‎(hupeidómēn)

Derived terms

Related terms

References

• φαίνω in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• φαίνω in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• φαίνω in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• «φαίνω» in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• φαίνω in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• “G5316”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible, 1979
• BDAG