Ancient Greek

• (4th AD Koine) IPA^(key): /neɸelokok̚kyɣía/

• (10th AD Byzantine) IPA^(key): /nefelokok̚kyʝía/

• (15th AD Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /nefelokokiʝía/

Proper noun

Νεφελοκοκκυγία • ‎(Nephelokokkugía) f ‎(genitive Νεφελοκοκκυγίας); first declension

1. cloud-cuckoo-land
   • 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds, translation by Ian Johnston:

     Πισθέταιρος: βούλει Νεφελοκοκκυγίαν?

     Ἔποψ: ἰοὺ ἰού: καλόν γ᾽ ἀτεχνῶς σὺ καὶ μέγ᾽ ηὗρες τοὔνομα!

     Ἐυελπίδης: ἆρ᾽ ἐστὶν αὑτηγὶ Νεφελοκοκκυγία, ἵνα καὶ τὰ Θεογένους τὰ πολλὰ χρήματα τά τ᾽ Αἰσχίνου γ᾽ ἅπαντα?

     Pisthetairos: boulei Nephelekokkugian?

     Epops: iou iou: kalon g' atekhnōs su kai meg' ēures tounoma!

     Euelpidēs: ar' estin autēgi Nephelokokkugia, ina kai ta polla khrēmata ta t' Aiskhinou g' apanta?

     Pisthetairos: Well, then, how do you like this: Cloudcuckooland?

     Chorus leader: Yes! That’s good! You’ve come up with a name that’s really wonderful—it’s great!

     Euelpides: Hang on, is this Cloudcuckooland the very spot where Theogenes keeps lots of money, and Aeschines hides all his assets?

Inflection

Related terms

• Νεφελοκοκκυγιεύς ‎(Nephelokokkugieús)

References

• Νεφελοκοκκυγία in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• LSJ

Greek

Proper noun

Νεφελοκοκκυγία • ‎(Nefelokokkygía) f

1. cloud-cuckoo-land, a utopia, imaginary place with unrealistic or silly people.

Declension

See also

• Όρνιθες (κωμωδία) on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el