ἀληθής

See also: αληθής

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἀλᾱθάς (alāthás) — Doric

Etymology

From ἀ- (a-, “un-”) +‎ *λῆθος (*lêthos, “*concealment”) +‎ -ής (-ḗs). *λῆθος (*lêthos) is the neuter σ-stem abstract noun to the root of λανθάνω (lanthánō, “I am hidden”), the existence of which is warranted by its Doric variant λᾶθος (lâthos). While λᾶθος (lâthos) is only attested as a synonym of λήθη (lḗthē, “oblivion”), it is probable that for the formation of ἀληθής (alēthḗs) the original meaning "concealment" was used, continuing the meaning of the root; thus the original (but unattested) meaning of the adjective was "uncovered", "unconcealed".^[1]

Adjective

ᾰ̓ληθής • (ălēthḗs) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓ληθές); third declension

(of things) true, real, genuine
(of people) truthful, honest
- c. 385 BCE, Plato, Symposium 217e:
  οἶνος […] ἦν ἀληθής
  oînos […] ên alēthḗs
  Wine is truthful. (in vino veritas)

Declension

Third declension of ᾰ̓ληθής; ᾰ̓ληθές (contracted, Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ᾰ̓ληθής ălēthḗs		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê
Genitive	ᾰ̓ληθοῦς ălēthoûs		ᾰ̓ληθοῦς ălēthoûs	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn		ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθῶν ălēthôn		ᾰ̓ληθῶν ălēthôn
Dative	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn		ᾰ̓ληθοῖν ălēthoîn	ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ălēthésĭ(n)		ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ălēthésĭ(n)
Accusative	ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê
Vocative	ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés	ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθῆ ălēthê
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ᾰ̓ληθῶς ălēthôs			ᾰ̓ληθέστερος ălēthésteros			ᾰ̓ληθέστᾰτος ălēthéstătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ᾰ̓ληθής; ᾰ̓ληθές (uncontracted, Epic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ᾰ̓ληθής ălēthḗs		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés	ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθέες ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălēthées ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă
Genitive	ᾰ̓ληθέος ᾰ̓ληθεῦς ălēthéos ălētheûs		ᾰ̓ληθέος ᾰ̓ληθεῦς ălēthéos ălētheûs	ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n		ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n	ᾰ̓ληθέων ălēthéōn		ᾰ̓ληθέων ălēthéōn
Dative	ᾰ̓ληθέῐ̈ ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthéĭ̈ ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέῐ̈ ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthéĭ̈ ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n		ᾰ̓ληθεοῖῐ̈ν ălētheoîĭ̈n	ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐν ălēthésĭ(n) ălēthéssĭ(n) ălēthéessĭ(n)		ᾰ̓ληθέσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέσσῐν ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐ ᾰ̓ληθέεσσῐν ălēthésĭ(n) ălēthéssĭ(n) ălēthéessĭ(n)
Accusative	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés	ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθέᾰς ălēthéăs		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă
Vocative	ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés		ᾰ̓ληθές ălēthés	ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî		ᾰ̓ληθέε ᾰ̓ληθεῖ ălēthée ălētheî	ᾰ̓ληθέες ᾰ̓ληθεῖς ălēthées ălētheîs		ᾰ̓ληθέᾰ ălēthéă
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ᾰ̓ληθέως ălēthéōs			ᾰ̓ληθέστερος ălēthésteros			ᾰ̓ληθέστᾰτος ălēthéstătos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Antonyms

ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false, untrue; deceived, misled”)
ψυδρός (psudrós, “false, untrue; lying, deceitful”)

Derived terms

ᾰ̓λήθεια (ălḗtheia)
ᾰ̓ληθῶς (ălēthôs, adverb)

Descendants

Greek: αληθής (alithís), αληθινός (alithinós)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἀληθής”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 65-6