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εἷς

heîs

G1520 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Root εἷς- one, single, individual, unique

Definition

The numeral 'one'; denoting a single unit, individual entity, or being. Used both as an adjective and, occasionally, as a substantive to refer to a single person, object, or idea. In certain contexts, emphasizes uniqueness ('only one'), individuality, or an unspecified single example ('a certain one').

Semantic Range

one, single entity or unit, only one, alone, unique, a certain one, someone, a (indefinite sense in context), distributive ('each one'), first (ordinal context), unity

Root / Etymology

From the Indo-European root *oi-no-, meaning 'one.' The Greek εἷς (masculine), μία (feminine), and ἕν (neuter) are declined forms of the same word, serving as the primary cardinal numeral for 'one' in Greek. Cognate with Latin 'unus,' Sanskrit 'eka,' and Old English 'ān.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical and Koine Greek, εἷς is the standard masculine form of 'one,' occurring in both literal (counting, singularity) and figurative (uniqueness, unity, or exclusivity) contexts. The feminine form is μία and the neuter is ἕν. Notably, in some contexts it functions as a pronoun ('one person' or 'someone'). In LXX and New Testament usage, it can denote a particular individual ('a certain one'), the concept of 'only one,' or the totality when paired in broader statements (e.g., 'no one,' 'everyone' in negative and distributive constructions with μηδείς and οὐδείς). In translation traditions, εἷς is often rendered as 'one,' 'a,' or 'only,' but nuance, particularly in idiomatic or distributive uses, can be lost. It does not inherently carry the indefinite sense of the English 'a/an,' though it can approximate this in certain constructions. The phrase εἷς καθ’ εἷς ('one by one') and related compounds illustrate its use in distributive senses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary numeral; one:--a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some. See also εἷς καθ’ εἷς, μηδείς, μία, οὐδείς.

Root Family

εἷς (heis) — one, single, individual, unique

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1762 ἔνι to one

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G1520-01 εἷς eis DET NOM M SG one into 96
G1520-02 ἓν en DET NOM N SG one in 64
G1520-03 ἕνα ena ADJ.S ACC M SG one one 43
G1520-07 μίαν mian ADJ.S ACC F SG one one 36
G1520-06 μία mia DET NOM F SG one one (feminine) 35
G1520-05 ἑνὸς enos ADJ.S GEN M SG one of one 33
G1520-04 ἑνὶ eni ADJ.S DAT M SG one to one 22
G1520-08 μιᾶς mias ADJ.S GEN F SG one of one 8

Occurrences in Scripture

337 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G1520-02 Matthew 5:18 ἓν en DET NOM N SG in
G1520-06 Matthew 5:18 μία mia DET NOM F SG one (feminine)
G1520-07 Matthew 5:19 μίαν mian ADJ.S ACC F SG one
G1520-02 Matthew 5:29 ἓν en ADJ.S NOM N SG in
G1520-02 Matthew 5:30 ἓν en ADJ.S NOM N SG in
G1520-07 Matthew 5:36 μίαν mian DET ACC F SG one
G1520-02 Matthew 5:41 ἕν en DET ACC N SG in
G1520-03 Matthew 6:24 ἕνα ena ADJ.S ACC M SG one
G1520-05 Matthew 6:24 ἑνὸς enos ADJ.S GEN M SG of one
G1520-03 Matthew 6:27 ἕνα ena DET ACC M SG one
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