πρόσπεινος
próspeinos
G4361 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Experiencing a severe or extreme state of hunger; intensely or greatly hungry. The term intensifies the normal experience of hunger, indicating both depth and urgency of need, often used to denote a physical state of strong deprivation of food.
Semantic Range
greatly hungry, extremely hungry, intensely hungry, famished, suffering acute hunger
Root / Etymology
From the preposition πρός ('toward, in addition to, further') and the root πειν- (from πεινάω, 'to be hungry'). Literally, 'further hungry' or 'additionally hungry,' indicating an intensified form of hunger.
Historical & Contextual Notes
πρόσπεινος is a rare word, attested in Koine Greek, with its appearance in the New Testament (Luke 6:3) as the primary evidence for its usage. There is little to no attestation in earlier classical Greek. The form is constructed to intensify the standard sense of hunger found in πεινάω, underlining acute or persistent hunger, possibly bordering on distress. Standard English translations often render it as 'very hungry' or 'famished,' which captures the intensity but may not reflect the compound's literal sense of hunger that is 'beyond' or 'in addition.' No notable contrast exists with related Greek terms except for the emphatic prefix, making this word stronger than ordinary expressions for hunger. The rarity of the term means its precise nuance is drawn primarily from its compound structure and context rather than a long tradition of usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πρός and the same as πεινάω; hungering further, i.e. intensely hungry:--very hungry.
Root Family
πειν- (peináō) — to be hungry, to lack food, to desire deeply
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3983 | πεινάω | I hungered |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4361-01 |
πρόσπεινος | prospeinos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
very hungry | intensely hungry | intensely hungry | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4361-01 |
Acts 10:10 | πρόσπεινος | prospeinos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
very hungry | intensely hungry | intensely hungry |