ὑπηρέτης

See also: υπηρέτης

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ὑπό (hupó, “below”) +‎ ἐρέσσω (eréssō, “to row”) +‎ -της (-tēs, “-er”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hy.pɛː.ré.tɛːs/ → /y.piˈre.tis/ → /i.piˈre.tis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hy.pɛː.ré.tɛːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)y.pe̝ˈre.te̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /y.piˈre.tis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /y.piˈre.tis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /i.piˈre.tis/

Noun

ὑπηρέτης • (hupērétēs) m (genitive ὑπηρέτου); first declension (Attic, Ionic, Koine)

1. An Ancient Greek title, originally for a rower; In later times a title for those who performed any service in a vessel, except the soldiers or marines
2. Any person who acted as the assistant of another, and performed manual labour for him, whether in sacred or profane things; a slave.
3. A title for men by whom the hoplites (ὁπλίτης (hoplítēs)) were accompanied when they took the field, and who carried the luggage, the provisions, and the shield of the hoplites. (The more common name for this servant of the hoplites was σκευοφόρος (skeuophóros).)

Usage notes

At Athens ὑπηρέτης seems to have been applied to a class of officers. Aristotle (Polit. vi. 5) divides all public offices into three classes, archai (ἀρχαί) or magistracies, epimeleiai (ἐπιμέλειαι) or administrations, and hyperesiai (ὑπηρεσίαι) or services.

Declension

First declension of ὁ ὑπηρέτης; τοῦ ὑπηρέτου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὑπηρέτης ho hupērétēs	τὼ ὑπηρέτᾱ tṑ hupērétā	οἱ ὑπηρέται hoi hupērétai
Genitive	τοῦ ὑπηρέτου toû hupērétou	τοῖν ὑπηρέταιν toîn hupērétain	τῶν ὑπηρετῶν tôn hupēretôn
Dative	τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ tôi hupērétēi	τοῖν ὑπηρέταιν toîn hupērétain	τοῖς ὑπηρέταις toîs hupērétais
Accusative	τὸν ὑπηρέτην tòn hupērétēn	τὼ ὑπηρέτᾱ tṑ hupērétā	τοὺς ὑπηρέτᾱς toùs hupērétās
Vocative	ὑπηρέτᾰ hupēréta	ὑπηρέτᾱ hupērétā	ὑπηρέται hupērétai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First declension of ὁ ὑπηρέτης; τοῦ ὑπηρέτεω (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὑπηρέτης ho hupērétēs	τὼ ὑπηρέτᾱ tṑ hupērétā	οἱ ὑπηρέται hoi hupērétai
Genitive	τοῦ ὑπηρέτεω / ὑπηρέτω toû hupēréteō / hupērétō	τοῖν ὑπηρέταιν toîn hupērétain	τῶν ὑπηρετέων / ὑπηρετῶν tôn hupēretéōn / hupēretôn
Dative	τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ tôi hupērétēi	τοῖν ὑπηρέταιν toîn hupērétain	τοῖσῐ / τοῖσῐν ὑπηρέτῃσῐ / ὑπηρέτῃσῐν toîsi(n) hupērétēisi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ὑπηρέτην tòn hupērétēn	τὼ ὑπηρέτᾱ tṑ hupērétā	τοὺς ὑπηρέτᾱς toùs hupērétās
Vocative	ὑπηρέτᾰ hupēréta	ὑπηρέτᾱ hupērétā	ὑπηρέται hupērétai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Descendants

• → Coptic: ϩⲩⲡⲏⲣⲉⲧⲏⲥ (hupēretēs)
• Greek: υπηρέτης (ypirétis)

References

• “ὑπηρέτης”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ὑπηρέτης”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ὑπηρέτης in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• G5257 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.
  • armour-bearer idem, page 40.
  • assistant idem, page 46.
  • attendant idem, page 51.
  • dependant idem, page 211.
  • domestic idem, page 246.
  • equerry idem, page 280.
  • esquire idem, page 282.
  • groom idem, page 374.
  • henchman idem, page 396.
  • knave idem, page 470.
  • lackey idem, page 473.
  • menial idem, page 524.
  • minister idem, page 531.
  • page idem, page 588.
  • pander idem, page 590.
  • retainer idem, page 706.
  • satellite idem, page 734.
  • servant idem, page 755.
  • slave idem, page 782.
  • squire idem, page 808.
  • underling idem, page 913.
• Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities.