ἐφιάλτης

See also: Ἐφιάλτης

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἐπιάλτης (epiáltēs)

Etymology

No etymology. In antiquity the name was connected with ἐφάλλομαι (ephállomai, “to throw oneself onto somebody”), but this explanation must be considered folk etymology. Leumann defends the suggestion that this word came from ἠπίαλος (ēpíalos, “ague, fever”); if this is true, 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): /ɛ.pʰiˈal.tes/
(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

ἐφῐάλτης • (ephiáltēs) m (genitive ἐφῐάλτου); first declension

nightmare, conceived as a throttling demon

Inflection

First declension of ὁ ἐφῐάλτης; τοῦ ἐφῐάλτου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἐφῐάλτης ho ephiáltēs	τὼ ἐφῐάλτᾱ tṑ ephiáltā	οἱ ἐφῐάλται hoi ephiáltai
Genitive	τοῦ ἐφῐάλτου toû ephiáltou	τοῖν ἐφῐάλταιν toîn ephiáltain	τῶν ἐφῐαλτῶν tôn ephialtôn
Dative	τῷ ἐφῐάλτῃ tôi ephiáltēi	τοῖν ἐφῐάλταιν toîn ephiáltain	τοῖς ἐφῐάλταις toîs ephiáltais
Accusative	τὸν ἐφῐάλτην tòn ephiáltēn	τὼ ἐφῐάλτᾱ tṑ ephiáltā	τοὺς ἐφῐάλτᾱς toùs ephiáltās
Vocative	ἐφῐάλτᾰ ephiálta	ἐφῐάλτᾱ ephiáltā	ἐφῐάλται ephiáltai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἐφιαλτεία (ephialteía)
ἐφιαλτικός (ephialtikós)
ἐφιάλτιον (ephiáltion)

Descendants

Greek: εφιάλτης (efiáltis)