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θῆλυς

thēlys

G2338 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily: female (in reference to sex or gender); denotes that which is of the female kind or sex, in contrast to male (ἄρρην or ἄρσην). In various contexts, can refer to a female human (woman or girl), an animal, or sometimes, by extension, to feminine characteristics or entities.

Semantic Range

female (of humans or animals), woman (in specific legal or genealogical contexts), feminine (rarely, in abstract or metaphorical usage)

Root / Etymology

From the same root as θηλάζω (to suckle, to nurse), itself derived from θηλή (teat, nipple). The term originally related to the capacity for nursing or providing milk, then generalized to designate the female sex.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, θῆλυς broadly referred to anything of the female sex, both humans and animals, contrasting with the male (ἄρρην/ἄρσην). In medical and biological texts, it specifies reproductive sex. In the Septuagint and New Testament, θῆλυς is used mainly to designate females in distinction from males, sometimes with anthropological or legal nuance (e.g., distinctions in laws or genealogies). The term does not inherently imply adulthood, status, or behavior, but rather biological (or perceived biological) sex. English translations as 'female' are generally accurate, but sometimes render the term as 'woman' in specific legal or religious contexts; these renderings should be contextualized and are not the word’s core meaning. θῆλυς is not used as a noun in standard Greek, but appears as an adjective qualifying nouns. In Greek thought, θῆλυς sometimes bore metaphorical or philosophical significance (e.g., Aristotle), but in biblical occurrences, its usage is concrete and refers only to the sex of living beings.

Translation Consistency

primary "female" 5 occurrences

θῆλυς primarily denotes sex/gender and most naturally translates as “female,” which covers human and animal uses and also works adjectivally or substantively. “Woman” is narrower to humans, so “female” best preserves the full, typical range and yields consistent, natural English.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as θηλάζω; female:--female, woman.

Root Family

θῆλυς (thēlys) — female, of the female sex, pertaining to the feminine

Root θηλ- female, of the female sex, pertaining to the feminine

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2338-03 θῆλυ thelu ADJ.S ACC N SG female female a female 3
G2338-01 θήλειαι theleiai ADJ.S NOM F PL females females females 1
G2338-02 θηλείας theleias ADJ.S GEN F SG woman of a female of a female 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2338-03 Matthew 19:4 θῆλυ thelu ADJ.S ACC N SG female female a female
G2338-03 Mark 10:6 θῆλυ thelu ADJ.S ACC N SG female female a female
G2338-01 Romans 1:26 θήλειαι theleiai ADJ.S NOM F PL females females females
G2338-02 Romans 1:27 θηλείας theleias ADJ.S GEN F SG woman of a female of a female
G2338-03 Galatians 3:28 θῆλυ thelu ADJ.S NOM N SG female female a female
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