ἐννεός
enneós
G1769 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Being unable or unwilling to speak, especially rendered mute or speechless in response to a situation; the core sense is being silent or without speech, commonly as a result of awe, astonishment, or inability to articulate words, rather than physical muteness. The word can describe literal silence, but most often denotes being struck speechless by a remarkable event or overwhelming emotion.
Semantic Range
silent, speechless, rendered mute or dumb (by awe, fear, or astonishment), temporarily unable to speak, communicating by signs or gestures
Root / Etymology
From ἐννεύω ('to nod, to make a sign') with the suffix -ός, forming an adjective; originally describing one who communicates by gestures rather than spoken words, i.e., one who is mute or silent. Cognate with Latin innuo ('to make a sign').
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἐννεός most often refers to someone who is silent or speechless, not strictly someone who is physically unable to speak as in the medical sense of 'mute.' In literary contexts, it often conveys being rendered speechless by wonder, fear, or another strong emotion. In the LXX and NT (e.g., Luke 1:22), it indicates being unable to speak in a particular moment, frequently due to supernatural intervention or extraordinary circumstances. English translations that simply render it as 'mute' or 'dumb' may miss the nuance of temporary or situational speechlessness due to astonishment or awe, rather than lifelong inability to speak. Related terms include κωφός, typically used for someone who is deaf or mute from physical cause, whereas ἐννεός emphasizes the immediate, often emotional or situational, cause of silence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐννεύω; dumb (as making signs), i.e. silent from astonishment:--speechless.
Root Family
ἐννεός (enneos) — silent, speechless, rendered mute, communicating by signs
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1769-01 |
ἐνεοί | eneoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
speechless | speechless ones | speechless ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1769-01 |
Acts 9:7 | ἐνεοί | eneoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
speechless | speechless ones | speechless ones |