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ὁ

ho

G3588 article

SILEX Entry

Definition

The definite article in Greek, marking nouns as particular or previously specified entities. In grammatical usage, ὁ (masculine), ἡ (feminine), and τό (neuter) serve as the primary means of noun specification, functioning similarly to 'the' in English but with broader flexibility. The article may also bear pronominal, demonstrative, or substantivizing functions, depending on context. Semantic range includes marking definiteness, distinguishing subject or object noun phrases, acting as a substantive (turning adjectives or participles into nouns), and standing in for demonstrative or personal pronouns when context clarifies referent.

Semantic Range

the definite article (the), demonstrative force (this, that), substantivizer for adjectives/participles (the [one] who ...), pronominal substitute (he, she, it, those), sometimes as a relative pronoun depending on grammatical construction

Root / Etymology

From the Proto-Indo-European pronominal stem *so-, *seh₂-, *tod, which gives rise to various demonstratives and articles in Indo-European languages. Cognate with Latin 'is, ea, id' and Sanskrit 'sa, sā, tat.' Not derived from a Greek verbal root but from this very old pronominal/demonstrative stock.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The Greek article ὁ (masculine nominative singular), ἡ (feminine nominative singular), and τό (neuter nominative/accusative singular) function primarily to mark definiteness, an innovation compared to Homeric literature where its usage was far less consistent. By the Hellenistic period and in the Koine of the New Testament and Septuagint, use of the article had expanded considerably, now essential to Greek noun phrase structure for specificity. Unlike English, the Greek article can stand alone as a pronoun, substantivize adjectives (οἱ καλοί 'the good [ones]'), and combine with proper nouns or abstract nouns for emphasis or to mark specificity. In translation, the article sometimes seems redundant or is omitted in English, reflecting idiomatic differences; likewise, English sometimes supplies 'the' where Greek has none. In post-classical Greek, especially Koine, its frequent use reflected shifts in information structure and narrative style. English 'the' is an imperfect equivalent, especially since the Greek article can sometimes approximate demonstrative or relative pronouns depending on context. In rare poetic or archaic settings, absence of the article (anarthrous usage) holds significance for emphasis or introducing new topics. Mutation of the article (case, gender, number) matches the noun it accompanies in inflection.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.

Root Family

ὁ- (ho) — to designate as definite, to specify, to identify

Root ὁ- to designate as definite, to specify, to identify

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3588-11 τῷ to ART DAT M SG the to the the 2927
G3588-03 ὁ o PRO.D NOM M SG the the the 2921
G3588-13 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the 2791
G3588-14 τοῦ tou ART GEN M SG the of the of the 2511
G3588-09 τὴν ten ART ACC F SG the the (feminine singular) the 1519
G3588-10 τῆς tes ART GEN F SG the of the of the 1294
G3588-04 οἱ oi PRO.P NOM M PL the the ones the ones 1116
G3588-02 ἡ e ART NOM F SG the the the 984
G3588-08 τῇ te ART DAT F SG the to the the 880
G3588-05 τὰ ta ART ACC N PL the the (neuter plural) the 829

Occurrences in Scripture

19808 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3588-13 Matthew 1:2 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:2 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:2 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-15 Matthew 1:2 τοὺς tous ART ACC M PL the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:3 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:3 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-10 Matthew 1:3 τῆς tes ART GEN F SG the of the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:3 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:3 τὸν ton-4 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:4 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:4 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:4 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:5 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-10 Matthew 1:5 τῆς tes ART GEN F SG the of the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:5 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-10 Matthew 1:5 τῆς tes-2 ART GEN F SG the of the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:5 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:6 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:6 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:6 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-10 Matthew 1:6 τῆς tes PRO.D GEN F SG the of the the
G3588-14 Matthew 1:6 τοῦ tou ART GEN M SG the of the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:7 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:7 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:7 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:8 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:8 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:8 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:9 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:9 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:9 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:10 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:10 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:10 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:11 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-15 Matthew 1:11 τοὺς tous ART ACC M PL the the the
G3588-10 Matthew 1:11 τῆς tes ART GEN F SG the of the the
G3588-09 Matthew 1:12 τὴν ten ART ACC F SG the the (feminine singular) the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:12 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:12 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:13 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:13 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:13 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:14 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:14 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:14 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:15 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:15 τὸν ton-2 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:15 τὸν ton-3 ART ACC M SG the the the
G3588-13 Matthew 1:16 τὸν ton ART ACC M SG the the the
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