Ancient Greek

Noun

σοφιστής • ‎(sophistḗs) m ‎(genitive σοφιστοῦ); first declension

1. A master of one's craft
2. One who is wise, prudent, a philosopher
3. teacher, tutor
4. (slang)(pejorative) One who makes a profit off of false wisdom: cheat, swindler

Usage notes

The reputation of the teachers at Athens came into decline in the fifth century BC, and thus came the connotation of cheat. This varies with time in relation to the general approval or disapproval of the paid teachers.

Inflection

Descendants

• English: sophist
• French: sophiste
• Greek: σοφιστής ‎(sofistís)
• Latin: sophistes

References

• σοφιστής in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• «σοφιστής» in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English-Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • casuist idem, page 117.
  • cheat idem, page 127.
  • deceiver idem, page 200.
  • doctor idem, page 245.
  • genius idem, page 357.
  • learned idem, page 483.
  • sage idem, page 731.
  • savant idem, page 735.
  • scholar idem, page 739.
  • sophist idem, page 794.
  • thinker idem, page 866.
  • trickster idem, page 894.
  • wiseacre idem, page 982.