σᾰφήν-εια

σᾰφήν-εια, ἡ,

A clearness, distinctness. Pl.Phdr. 277d; opp. ἀσάφεια, Id.R. 478c;

πάσῃ σ. λαβεῖν τι Id.Sph. 254c

;

σ. τινός Id.R. 524c

;

τῶν χορδῶν Id.Lg. 812d

; τὴν τοῦ στόματος ς. Isoc.15.189; τῶν πραχθέντων τὴν σ. πυθέσθαι to learn the plain truth, Antipho 1.13;

σαφηνείᾳ λόγου εἰδώς τι A.Th.67

; clear knowledge,

σ. θεοὶ ἔχοντι Alcmaeon 1

.

Grammatical information: Adv.

Meaning: `surely, certainly, definitely', esp. with οῖ᾽δα, also w. other verbs of ḳnowing and saying (Il.).

Derivatives: Besides σαφής adj. `sure, definite, apparent, clear, evident' (Pi., A.; σαφές h. Merc.; s. bel.) with adv. σαφέως, σαφῶς `id.' (h. Cer.). Expressive enlargement σαφ-ηνής, Dor. -ᾱνής, adv. - ηνέως (Pi., trag.; adv. also Hdt.), after ἀπ-, προσ-ηνής a. o. (to be rejected Prellwitz Glotta 19, 95ff.), with σαφήν-εια f. `clarity, clearness' (Att. since A., Alcmaion; opposite ἀσάφεια from ἀ-σαφής), - ίζω `to make clear, to explain' (IA.) with - ισμός, - ιστικός (late). -- Quite doubtful σαφήτωρ μάντις ἀληθής, μηνυτής, ἑρμηνευτής H., as if from *σαφέω ( διασαφέω since E.); certainly only arisen from a v. l. Ι 404 (for ἀφήτωρ).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]; PGX [probably a word of Pre-Greek origin]

Etymology: Of the above words the earliest attested adv. σάφα (on the formation Schwyzer 622) seems to be the oldest; from this σαφέως (as τάχα: ταχέως), the ntr. σαφές ( σαφες δ' οὑκ οῖ᾽δα h. Merc. 208) with σαφέστερον, and to this at last σαφής (Leumann Hom. Wörter 112 n. 77). -- Unexplained. Often analysed as in σα-φής with the 2. member of φάος, φαίνω; before this σα- as strengthening element, and this either with Prellwitz BB 22, 81 ff. to σάος (* tuh₂-; s. σῶς and τύλη) or with Brugmann IF 39, 114ff. to τίς (* kʷih₂-); prop. exclamation; cf. Σίσυφος and σοφός. Against this after Grošelj Živa Ant. 1, 127 to Ion. σάω `sieve' (s. διαττάω and σήθω), so prop. *'sieved'; - φα as in μέσφα. Older proposals in Bq and W.-Hofmann s. faber, sapiō and tabula. -- Estensively on σάφα Luther "Wahrheit" u. "Lüge" 61 ff.; s. also Frisk GHÅ 41 (1935): 3, 20 (Kl. Schr. [Göteborg 1966] 18). -- Furnée suggests several connections, which are not evident (index s.v.); he concludes to Pre-Greek.

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