ἐφιάλτης

See also: Ἐφιάλτης

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἐπῐᾰ́λτης (epĭắltēs)

Etymology

No certain etymology. Historically connected with ἐφᾰ́λλομαι (ephắllomai, “to throw oneself onto somebody”), but this explanation is considered folk etymological by Beekes. Leumann sustained that this word is related to ἠπῐ́ᾰλος (ēpĭ́ălos, “ague, fever”); if that's the case, then the word could be of Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /e.pʰi.ál.tɛːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /e.pʰiˈal.te̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /e.ɸiˈal.tis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /e.fiˈal.tis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /e.fiˈal.tis/

Noun

ἐφῐᾰ́λτης • (ephĭắltēs) m (genitive ἐφῐᾰ́λτου); first declension

nightmare, conceived as a throttling demon

Inflection

First declension of ὁ ἐφῐᾰ́λτης; τοῦ ἐφῐᾰ́λτου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἐφῐᾰ́λτης ho ephĭắltēs	τὼ ἐφῐᾰ́λτᾱ tṑ ephĭắltā	οἱ ἐφῐᾰ́λται hoi ephĭắltai
Genitive	τοῦ ἐφῐᾰ́λτου toû ephĭắltou	τοῖν ἐφῐᾰ́λταιν toîn ephĭắltain	τῶν ἐφῐᾰλτῶν tôn ephĭăltôn
Dative	τῷ ἐφῐᾰ́λτῃ tōî ephĭắltēi	τοῖν ἐφῐᾰ́λταιν toîn ephĭắltain	τοῖς ἐφῐᾰ́λταις toîs ephĭắltais
Accusative	τὸν ἐφῐᾰ́λτην tòn ephĭắltēn	τὼ ἐφῐᾰ́λτᾱ tṑ ephĭắltā	τοὺς ἐφῐᾰ́λτᾱς toùs ephĭắltās
Vocative	ἐφῐᾰ́λτᾰ ephĭắltă	ἐφῐᾰ́λτᾱ ephĭắltā	ἐφῐᾰ́λται ephĭắltai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἐφῐᾰλτείᾱ (ephĭălteíā)
ἐφῐᾰλτῐκός (ephĭăltĭkós)
ἐφῐᾰ́λτῐον (ephĭắltĭon)

Descendants

Greek: εφιάλτης (efiáltis)