ἀκροβυστία

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The first element is ᾰ̓́κρος (ắkros, “topmost; outermost”). The second element is uncertain; it was traditionally thought to be βῠ́ω (bŭ́ō, “to stuff; to plug”), but this is almost certainly incorrect. The word could be an alternative form of ᾰ̓κροποσθῐ́ᾱ (ăkroposthĭ́ā, “foreskin”), making the second element akin to πόσθη (pósthē, “penis; foreskin”). It could also be from a Semitic root, such as Hebrew בֹּשֶׁת (bōšeṯ, “shame”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.kro.bys.tí.aː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.kro.bysˈti.a/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.kro.βysˈti.a/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.kro.vysˈti.a/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.kro.visˈti.a/

Noun

ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ • (ăkrobŭstĭ́ā) f (genitive ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱς); first declension

foreskin
Near-synonyms: πόσθη (pósthē), ᾰ̓κροποσθῐ́ᾱ (ăkroposthĭ́ā)
- 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Septuagint, Genesis 17.11
- 280 BCE – 220 BCE, Philo of Byzantium, Fragments 49
- 50 CE – 100 CE, Acts of the Apostles 11:3
uncircumcision (the state of having the foreskin)
- 55 CE – 57 CE, Epistle to the Romans 2:25
(collectively) the uncircumcised (those who are not circumcised)
- 55 CE – 57 CE, Epistle to the Romans 2:26
- 55 CE – 57 CE, Epistle to the Romans 3:30

Declension

First declension of ἡ ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ; τῆς ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ hē ăkrobŭstĭ́ā	τὼ ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ tṑ ăkrobŭstĭ́ā	αἱ ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́αι hai ăkrobŭstĭ́ai
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱς tês ăkrobŭstĭ́ās	τοῖν ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́αιν toîn ăkrobŭstĭ́ain	τῶν ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐῶν tôn ăkrobŭstĭôn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾳ tēî ăkrobŭstĭ́āi	τοῖν ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́αιν toîn ăkrobŭstĭ́ain	ταῖς ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́αις taîs ăkrobŭstĭ́ais
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱν tḕn ăkrobŭstĭ́ān	τὼ ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ tṑ ăkrobŭstĭ́ā	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱς tā̀s ăkrobŭstĭ́ās
Vocative	ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ ăkrobŭstĭ́ā	ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́ᾱ ăkrobŭstĭ́ā	ᾰ̓κροβῠστῐ́αι ăkrobŭstĭ́ai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

Greek: ακροβυστία f (akrovystía, “foreskin”)