γυνή

gynḗ

G1135 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An adult female human being; specifically, an adult woman. In certain contexts, γυνή denotes a wife, that is, a married woman in relation to a husband. The term is broadly used for 'woman' without an inherent indication of marital status unless qualified by context. Semantic range includes: (1) adult female, (2) woman in general, (3) wife (in a marital relationship or when the context specifies a spousal relationship), (4) by extension, sometimes used generically for 'female'.

Semantic Range

woman, adult female, wife, spouse (in marital context)

Root / Etymology

From the root γυν- (gyn-). The etymology traces back to Proto-Indo-European *gʷn̥h₂-, meaning 'woman' or 'wife.' Cognate with Latin 'genus' (race, stock, kind) and other Indo-European words for woman or wife.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, γυνή principally meant 'woman' as the counterpart to ἀνήρ (man), designating an adult female as distinct from a maiden (παρθένος). It was also commonly used for 'wife,' particularly in legal and household contexts, when the relationship was clear from context or explicitly stated (e.g., his γυνή = his wife). The distinction between 'woman' and 'wife' is contextual; there is no separate word for 'wife' in most Koine Greek usage outside of terms indicating marriage itself (e.g., νύμφη for 'bride'). In the Septuagint and New Testament, γυνή retains this double sense; translation as 'wife' or 'woman' depends on surrounding context (e.g., Matthew 1:20—Mary as Joseph's γυνή is 'wife'). English translations often reflect this ambiguity less flexibly, tending to choose according to presumed marital status. The word was not used for young girls, where παῖς or κόρη would be expected. The sense of 'wife' is exclusive to marital context and does not imply subordination, but rather formal relationship. In Hellenistic and Roman-era inscriptions and documents, γυνή appears regularly as the standard term for both 'woman' and 'wife.' Contrast with ἀνδρίς (rare), which sometimes means 'wife' but is much less common. The semantic nuance of γυνή shifted little from classical through Koine periods.

Translation Consistency

primary "woman" 125 occurrences

γυνή most commonly denotes an adult female; the neutral, natural English equivalent is “woman.” P2 usage favors “woman/women” over “wife,” and “woman” can naturally be inflected (woman → women) while context will indicate when the sense is specifically ‘wife’ or ‘spouse.’ Using “woman” ensures consistency and readability across all forms.

Alternatives (89 occurrences):
"wife" (45x) "women" (38x) "wives" (5x) "o wife" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from the base of γίνομαι; a woman; specially, a wife:--wife, woman.

Root Family

γυνή (gynē) — woman, adult female, wife (in marital context)

Root γυν- woman, adult female, wife (in marital context)

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1135-10 γυνὴ gune N NOM F SG woman woman woman 72
G1135-02 γυναῖκά gunaika N ACC F SG wife a woman wife 51
G1135-07 γυναικός gunaikos N GEN F SG woman of a woman of a woman 22
G1135-05 γυναικὶ gunaiki N DAT F SG wife to a woman woman 17
G1135-04 γυναῖκες gunaikes N NOM F PL women women women 15
G1135-06 γυναικῶν gunaikon N GEN F PL of women of women of women 11
G1135-03 γυναῖκας gunaikas N ACC F PL wives women women 11
G1135-01 γύναι gunai N VOC F SG Woman O woman O woman 9
G1135-09 γυναιξίν gunaixin N DAT F PL women to women women 5
G1135-08 γυναιξὶ gunaixi N DAT F PL wives to women women 1

Occurrences in Scripture

214 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1135-02 Matthew 1:20 γυναῖκά gunaika N ACC F SG wife a woman wife
G1135-02 Matthew 1:24 γυναῖκα gunaika N ACC F SG wife a woman wife
G1135-02 Matthew 5:28 γυναῖκα gunaika N ACC F SG a woman a woman a woman
G1135-02 Matthew 5:31 γυναῖκα gunaika N ACC F SG wife a woman wife
G1135-02 Matthew 5:32 γυναῖκα gunaika N ACC F SG wife a woman wife
G1135-10 Matthew 9:20 γυνὴ gune N NOM F SG woman woman woman
G1135-10 Matthew 9:22 γυνὴ gune N NOM F SG woman woman woman
G1135-06 Matthew 11:11 γυναικῶν gunaikon N GEN F PL of women of women of women
G1135-10 Matthew 13:33 γυνὴ gune N NOM F SG woman woman woman
G1135-02 Matthew 14:3 γυναῖκα gunaika N ACC F SG wife a woman the wife