Τρύφαινα
Trýphaina
G5170 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Tryphaina. Female personal name, likely signifying 'refined' or 'delicate' in origin. In the New Testament, refers specifically to a woman greeted by Paul in Romans 16:12, presumably of Greco-Roman background. The name conveys connotations of delicacy, daintiness, or luxuriousness in its original sense, but as a proper name, its primary function is as a designation for an individual.
Semantic Range
female personal name, with etymological sense of delicate, dainty, refined; in biblical usage, refers solely to an individual named Tryphaina
Root / Etymology
Τρύφαινα derives from the Greek noun τρυφή (truphē), meaning 'luxury,' 'softness,' 'delicacy,' or 'refinement.' The name is a feminine derivative, built upon the stem τρυφ- plus the adjectival or nominal suffix -αινα.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Τρύφαινα is attested as a common Greek feminine personal name during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. In extrabiblical Greek sources, this name is found among various social strata and need not imply any particular status of luxury or wealth, despite its etymological root. The root sense of 'luxury' becomes nominalized, and in the context of a personal name, the connotations become attenuated. The presence of this name alongside other names in Romans 16 reflects the diversity of the early assemblies, with no emphasis placed on etymological sense by the New Testament writers. English translations tend to simply transliterate the name as Tryphena, which is historically appropriate; the translation 'luxurious' is not used in English Bibles as a rendering, but only as an etymological note in some lexica.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from τρυφή; luxurious; Tryphæna, a Christian woman:--Tryphena.
Root Family
Τρύφαινα (Tryphaina) — delicacy, luxury, refinement
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5170-01 |
Τρύφαιναν | truphainan | N ACC F SG |
Tryphaena | Tryphaina | Tryphaina | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5170-01 |
Romans 16:12 | Τρύφαιναν | truphainan | N ACC F SG |
Tryphaena | Tryphaina | Tryphaina |