ἀνεψιός
anepsiós
G431 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A relative by blood, more specifically the son of one's sibling; commonly, a 'cousin' or nephew, with the primary reference being to one's sister's son but sometimes bearing the broader sense of close familial kin (as cousin or close relation) depending on context. In most attestations, refers to a nephew (sister's son) or to a cousin, distinguished from more distant kin.
Semantic Range
sister's son, nephew, cousin, close relative, kinsman
Root / Etymology
From the prepositional prefix ἀνά ('up, among, again') and the root ἔψω (obsolete, related to breeding or offspring), literally 'one sprung from the same stock, a kinsman'; may be compared to Latin nepos. The formation relates to familial ascent or collateral relationship. The etymology is partly uncertain due to the obscurity of the root ἔψω.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἀνεψιός is attested as referring to a nephew, especially a sister's son, but could also extend to cousins and other close kin. In the Septuagint (LXX), ἀνεψιός is used to translate Hebrew מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah, 'clan/relative') and sometimes אָח (ach, 'brother'), reflecting the broader kinship structures of Israelite society. In the NT (Colossians 4:10), it refers to Mark as the ἀνεψιός of Barnabas, interpreted by many as 'cousin,' though some traditions translate 'nephew.' In later Greek, the semantic focus narrows to nephew (sister's son), but during the Koine period a wider sense (cousin, close kin) is possible. English translations typically vary: 'cousin' more accurately reflects the broader Koine usage than 'nephew.' The term is distinct from ἀδελφιδέος (which can also mean nephew, and more precisely denotes brother's son), showing overlap but potential specificity for mother's or sister's son in some contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a particle of union) and an obsolete (a brood); properly, akin, i.e. (specially) a cousin:--sister's son.
Root Family
ἀνεψιός (anepsios) — kin, blood relative, offspring from same ancestral line
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G431-01 |
ἀνεψιὸς | anepsios | N NOM M SG |
cousin | male blood-kin | cousin | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G431-01 |
Colossians 4:10 | ἀνεψιὸς | anepsios | N NOM M SG |
cousin | male blood-kin | cousin |