ἀπάτωρ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ᾰ̓πᾰ́τωρος (ăpắtōros)

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *əpatōr. Equivalent to ἀ- (a-, “-less”) +‎ -πάτωρ (-pátōr, “father”, stem used in compounds). Compare πατήρ (patḗr, “father”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.pá.tɔːr/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈpa.tor/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈpa.tor/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈpa.tor/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈpa.tor/

Adjective

ᾰ̓πᾰ́τωρ • (ăpắtōr) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορ); third declension

(of deities) not having a father; without a father
- Orphic Hymns, 10 10
- c. 450 CE – 470 CE, Nonnus, Dionysiaca 41.53
- 50 CE – 100 CE, Epistle to the Hebrews 7:3
(of people) fatherless; orphaned
- c. 450 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 300
- 413 BCE, Euripides, Ion 109
- 413 BCE, Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris 864
disowned or disinherited by one's father
- 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Laws 929a
without someone as father [with genitive]
- 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1383
having an unknown father
Synonym: σκότῐος (skótĭos)
- 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, 2 288e

Usage notes

Often paired with ἀμήτωρ (amḗtōr, “motherless”). The neuter plural occurs in the phrase ἀπάτορα τέκεα (apátora tékea, “fatherless children”).

Declension

Third declension of ᾰ̓πᾰ́τωρ; ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορ (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τωρ ăpắtōr		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορ ăpắtor	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορε ăpắtore		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορε ăpắtore	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορες ăpắtores		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορᾰ ăpắtoră
Genitive	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορος ăpắtoros		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορος ăpắtoros	ᾰ̓πᾰτόροιν ăpătóroin		ᾰ̓πᾰτόροιν ăpătóroin	ᾰ̓πᾰτόρων ăpătórōn		ᾰ̓πᾰτόρων ăpătórōn
Dative	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορῐ ăpắtorĭ		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορῐ ăpắtorĭ	ᾰ̓πᾰτόροιν ăpătóroin		ᾰ̓πᾰτόροιν ăpătóroin	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορσῐ ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορσῐν ăpắtorsĭ(n)		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορσῐ ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορσῐν ăpắtorsĭ(n)
Accusative	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορᾰ ăpắtoră		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορ ăpắtor	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορε ăpắtore		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορε ăpắtore	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορᾰς ăpắtorăs		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορᾰ ăpắtoră
Vocative	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορ ăpắtor		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορ ăpắtor	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορε ăpắtore		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορε ăpắtore	ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορες ăpắtores		ᾰ̓πᾰ́τορᾰ ăpắtoră
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ᾰ̓πᾰτόρως ăpătórōs			—			—
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

⇒ Greek: απάτωρ (apátor)

References

“ἀπάτωρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ἀπάτωρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
G540 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- fatherless idem, page 310.
- orphaned idem, page 580.