Ἑλληνίς
Hellēnís
G1674 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A Greek woman; specifically, a female associated with Hellenic (Greek) language, culture, or identity. In broader usage, refers to a woman identified as 'Greek' in contrast to Judean or other non-Greek groups, often denoting both ethnic and cultural characteristics. In some New Testament and related Koine sources, refers to a gentile (non-Judean) woman, typically one who adopts, or is assumed to adopt, Greek customs or language.
Semantic Range
Greek woman; woman belonging to Greek ethnic identity; woman of Hellenic language or culture; gentile (non-Judean) woman; in some contexts, specifically non-Judean, non-Israelite woman
Root / Etymology
From Ἕλλην (Hellēn, Greek man), with the feminine suffix -ις (-is), forming the feminine equivalent: 'Greek woman.' Root ultimately traced to λόγος (λόγ-) is etymologically unrelated. The stem here is Ἑλλην-.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἑλληνίς appears in Koine Greek as the standard term for a Greek woman by ethnicity or cultural affiliation. In the New Testament (e.g., Mark 7:26), it can function both as an ethno-cultural marker (a woman of Greek extraction or Hellenic background) and as a socio-religious one (one not considered a Judean by origin or practice), sometimes in apposition to other groups, such as Syrians. The term underscores Greek culture and language rather than merely geographic origin. In the Roman and Hellenistic worlds, 'Greek' often contrasted with local or regional groups, including Judeans. In the Septuagint, 'Hellēnis' is rare, but parallels masculine 'Hellēn' for non-Judeans broadly, denoting those outside covenantal Israelite/Judean identity. English Bible translations have frequently rendered both Ἑλλην and Ἑλληνίς as 'Greek,' but such translation may obscure the nuance between ethnic, linguistic, and cultural senses, as well as its frequent opposition to 'Judean' rather than simply 'Jew.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of Ἕλλην; a Grecian (i.e. non-Jewish) woman:--Greek.
Root Family
Ἑλληνίς (Hellēnis) — Greek, of Greek culture, non-Judean
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1674-02 |
Ἑλληνίς | ellenis | N NOM F SG |
Greek | Greek woman | Greek woman | 1 |
G1674-01 |
Ἑλληνίδων | ellenidon | N GEN F PL |
Greek | of Greek women | Greek women | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1674-02 |
Mark 7:26 | Ἑλληνίς | ellenis | N NOM F SG |
Greek | Greek woman | Greek woman |
G1674-01 |
Acts 17:12 | Ἑλληνίδων | ellenidon | N GEN F PL |
Greek | of Greek women | Greek women |