# οἷος
## Ancient Greek
### Etymology

From ὅς (hós, relative pronoun) +‎ -ιος (-ios, adjectival suffix).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /hôi̯.os/ → /ˈy.os/ → /ˈi.os/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /hôi̯.os/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /ˈ(h)y.os/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /ˈy.os/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /ˈy.os/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /ˈi.os/

### Determiner

οἷος • (hoîos) (feminine οἵᾱ, neuter οἷον)
* relative adjective of quality such as; what sort, manner, kind of
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.630
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.758
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.275
** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 13.298
** introducing an exclamation
*** (in an independent clause) what a (great, terrible) ...!
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 7.455:οἷον ἔειπες.hoîon éeipes.What a terrible thing you have said!
**** 366 BCE – 348 BCE, Plato, Theaetetus 142B:οἷον ἄνδρα λέγεις ἐν κινδύνῳ εἶναι.hoîon ándra légeis en kindúnōi eînai.1921 translation by Harold N. FowlerWhat a [great] man he is who you say is in danger!
**** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1256
**** 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 733
**** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 450A
**** 399 BCE, Plato, Euthyphro 15E
*** (in a subordinate clause) the (great, terrible) sort that
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 3.1.15:ἐγώ, ὦ ἄνδρες λοχαγοί, οὔτε καθεύδειν δύναμαι, ὥσπερ οἶμαι οὐδ’ ὑμεῖς, οὔτε κατακεῖσθαι ἔτι, ὁρῶν ἐν οἵοις ἐσμέν.egṓ, ô ándres lokhagoí, oúte katheúdein dúnamai, hṓsper oîmai oud’ humeîs, oúte katakeîsthai éti, horôn en hoíois esmén.Commanders, I can neither sleep, as I suppose neither can you, nor lie down, seeing the terrible sort of situation we are in.
**** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 624
**** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1402
**** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1488
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 3.2.12
** containing a comparison, and sometimes an inference
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.591
*** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 1296
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 22.317
*** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 399
*** 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 21
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.376
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.146
*** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 607
*** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1046
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.6.19
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 7.208
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.157
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 7.106
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 20.35
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.638
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 9.348
*** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 313A
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Timocrates 185
*** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.263
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.21
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Memorabilia 2.9.3
*** 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Parmenides 161B
*** in many Homeric expressions the omission of the antecedent clause is to be noticed
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 18.95
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 22.347
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 4.611
*** especially in Attic often stands for ὅτι τοῖος/τοία/τοῖον (hóti toîos/toía/toîon), so that the relative introduces the reason for the preceding statement
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.166
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 16.93
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 17.479
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.31
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 2.41
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Phaedo 117C
**** 429 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus the King 701
*** if it is to be intimated that the reason is self-evident, and the assertion is beyond doubt, then δή (dḗ) is added
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 24.376
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 6.146
**** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 607
**** 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1046
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 1.6.19
*** but if the comparison or inference only denotes a general or doubtful resemblance, then Homer uses οἷός τε (hoîós te)
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 7.208
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.157
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 7.106
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 20.35
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.638
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 9.348
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 313A
*** when a comparison involves a definition of time οἷος ὅτε (hoîos hóte) is used
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 10.462
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 22.227
*** many brief Attic expressions are also explained by the omission of the demonstrative pronoun before οἷος (hoîos)
**** 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 966
**** 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 447C
**** 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 481B
*** never used like the adverb οἷον (hoîon) with a positive adjective
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 11.653
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.94
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 21.108
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 19.493
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 4.28
**** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 4.8.2
** οἷος (hoîos) with an infinitive implies fitness or ability in or for a thing
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Anabasis 2.3.13
*** 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 487D
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, Against Aristogiton 1 2
*** 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Cratylus 395A
*** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 415E
*** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 6.12
*** 380 BCE, Plato, Euthydemus 272A
*** 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Fr. 159S
*** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Demosthenes, First Philippic 9
*** 4th century BC, Isaeus, Ciron 21
*** 250 CE – 350 CE, Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae 7.345D
*** but this sense is commonly expressed by οἷος τε (hoîos te)
**** 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 21.117
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.29
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.67
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.91
**** 424 BCE, Aristophanes, The Knights 343
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 3.16
**** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, On the Peace 69
**** 200 BCE – 118 BCE, Polybius, The Histories 3.90.5
**** 93 CE – 94 CE, Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 4.6.3
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 1.80
**** 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.194
**** 460 BCE – 395 BCE, Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 7.14
*** (without infinitive)
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 314D
**** 436 BCE – 338 BCE, Isocrates, Evagoras 9
**** 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 198
**** 428 BCE – 347 BCE, Plato, Protagoras 349E
**** 386 BCE – 367 BCE, Plato, Parmenides 144B
**** 380 BCE, Plato, Gorgias 449D
**** 380 BCE, Plato, The Republic 387C
**** 341 BCE, Demosthenes, On the Chersonese 75
**** 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Politics 1313A.39
**** 125 CE – 200 CE, Lucian, Images 3
** the relative is in Attic often repeated in the same clause
*** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 751
*** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 994
*** 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Women of Trachis 1045
*** 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 144
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Cyropaedia 4.5.29
*** 385 BCE – 380 BCE, Plato, Symposium 195A

#### Derived terms

* ἄλλοιος (álloios)
* ἑτεροῖος (heteroîos)
* οἷον (hoîon, adverb)
* ὅμοιος (hómoios)
** ἀνόμοιος (anómoios)
** παρόμοιος (parómoios)
** προσόμοιος (prosómoios)
* παντοῖος (pantoîos)

#### See also

| type | interrogative | indefinite | (medial) demonstrative | proximal demonstrative | distal demonstrative | relative | indefinite relative | identity | other |
| basic | τίς | τις, ἔνιοι | †ὁ, οὗτος | ὅδε | ἐκεῖνος | ὅς | ὅστις | ὁ αὐτός (αὑτός), ὁμός | ἕτερος, ἄλλος |
| dual | πότερος | πότερος, ποτερός | | | | ὁπότερος | ὁπότερος | | |
| quality | ποῖος | ποιός | †τοῖος, τοιοῦτος | τοιόσδε | | οἷος | ὁποῖος | ὅμοιος | ἑτεροῖος, ἀλλοῖος |
| quantity | πόσος | ποσός | †τόσος, τοσοῦτος | τοσόσδε | | ὅσος | ὁπόσος | | |
| manner | πῶς | πως | †τώς, †ὥς, οὕτως | ὧδε | | ὡς | ὅπως | ὁμῶς | ἑτέρως, ἄλλως |
| method, path, place | πῇ | πῃ | τῇ, ταύτῃ | τῇδε | ἐκείνῃ | ᾗ | ὅπῃ | | ἄλλῃ |
| place | ποῦ, †πόθι | που, †ποθι | ἐνταῦθα | ἐνθάδε | ἐκεῖ, ἔνθα, †ἐκεῖθι | οὗ, ἔνθα, †ὅθι | ὅπου, †ὁπόθι | αὐτόθι, ὁμοῦ | ἄλλοθι |
| source | πόθεν | ποθεν | †τόθεν, ἔνθεν, ἐντεῦθεν | ἐνθένδε | ἐκεῖθεν | ὅθεν | ὁπόθεν | †ὁμόθεν | ἄλλοθεν |
| destination | ποῖ, †πόσε | ποι | ἔνθα, ἐνταῦθα | ἐνθάδε, δεῦρο | ἐκεῖσε | οἷ | ὅποι, †ὁπόσε | αὐτόσε, ὁμόσε | ἄλλοσε |
| time | πότε, πῆμος | ποτέ, ποτε, τοτέ, ἐνίοτε | τότε, τῆμος | τημόσδε | | ὅτε, ἦμος | ὁπότε, †ὁππῆμος | ἅμα | ἄλλοτε |
| exact time | πηνίκα | | †τηνίκα, τηνικαῦτα | τηνικάδε | | ἡνίκα | ὁπηνίκα | αὐτίκα | |
| duration of time | | | τέως | | | ἕως | | | |
| size, age | πηλίκος | πηλίκος | †τηλίκος, τηλικοῦτος | τηλικόσδε | | ἡλίκος | ὁπηλίκος | ὁμῆλιξ | |
| repetition | ποσάκις, ποσίνδα | ποσάκις | τουτάκις, τοσάκις | | | †ὁσάκις ὁποσάκις | ὁποσάκις | | |
| multiplication | ποσαπλάσιος | | | | | ὁσαπλάσιος, ὁσαπλασίων | | | |
| order | πόστος | ποστός | | | | | ὁπόστος | | |
| † Forms rarely or never used in Classical Attic prose Relative also used in exclamations; either relative or indefinite relative used in indirect questions. ||||||||||

### References

* “οἷος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “οἷος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “οἷος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* οἷος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
* οἷος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited. kind idem, page 469.sort idem, page 795.such idem, page 834.