ἐλαφρός

elaphros

light in weight

Appears 3 times across Aristotle's works.

Frequency by work

Click a work to list every occurrence by Bekker number — each links into the reader.

Parts of Animals 2
Open Parts of Animals ›
Book III 1
Chapter 11 673a32–673b11

673b5
Book IV 1
Chapter 10 685b29–690b10

690a17
Nicomachean Ethics 1
Open Nicomachean Ethics ›
Book I 1
Chapter 11 1101a22–1101b9

1101a30

Dictionary (LSJ)

ἐλαφρός, ά, όν, and in Pi. N. 5.20 ός, όν: (v. ἐλαχύς);—A. light in weight, τόν οἱ ἐ. ἔθηκε (sc. λᾶαν) Il. 12.450; ξύλου ἐλαφρότερα Hdt. 3.23; πῦρ Parm. 8.57; opp. βαρύς, Pl. Ti. 63c, etc.; in Epitaphs, γαῖαν ἔχοις ἐλαφράν ‘sit tibi terra levis’, Epigr.Gr. 195 (Vaxos), cf. Sammelb. 315. Adv., τά (sc. δένδρεα) οἱ πλώοιεν ἐλαφρῶς Od. 5.240. 2. light to bear, easy, καί κεν ἐλαφρότερος πόλεμος Τρώεσσι γένοιτο Il. 22.287; συμφ ορὰν ἐλαφροτέραν καταστῆσαι Antipho 3.3.12; πόνος -ότερος ἑαυτοῦ συνηθείῃ γίνεται Democr. 241: later, Comp. ἐλαφρώτερον ἄλγος Max. 173; ἐλαφρόν [ἐστι] ʼtis light, easy, Pi. N. 7.77, A. Pr. 265, etc.; easy to understand, [προβλήματα] ἐ. καὶ πιθανά Plu. 2.133e, cf. D.Chr. 18.11; ἐν ἐλαφρῷ ποιήσασθαί τι to make light of a thing, Hdt. 3.154; οὐκ ἐν ἐ. ποιεῖσθαι Id. 1.118; οὐκ ἐν ἐ. no light matter, Theoc. 22.212. Adv. -ρῶς, φέρειν ζυγόν to bear it lightly, Pi. P. 2.93. 3. light of digestion, Plu. 2.137a. 4. shallow, διάπλους Peripl.M.Rubr. 55; δῖναι ib.40. 5. Act., ease-giving, B. Fr. 8, Theoc. 2.92. II. light in moving, nimble, γυῖα δʼ ἔθηκεν ἐ. Il. 5.122; ἦ μάλʼ ἐ. ἀνήρ 16.745; ἐλαφρότατος ποσσί 23.749; χεῖρες . . ἐπαΐσσονται ἐ. ib.628; κίρκος . . ἐλαφρότατος πετεηνῶν 22.139, Od. 13.87; [ἵπποι] ἐλαφρότατοι θείειν 3.370; ἐλαφραῖς πτερύγων ῥιπαῖς A. Pr. 125 (anap.); ἐ. ποδί ib.281 (anap.); γονάτων ἐλαφρὸν ὁρμάν Pi. N. 5.20; ἐ. ποδῶν ἴχνιʼ ἀειράμεναι Call.Fr.anon.391; ἐλαφρὰ ἡλικία the age of active youth, X. Mem. 3.5.27; ἐλαφροί, οἱ, light troops, Id. An. 4.2.27 (restricted to cavalry who fight at close quarters, Ascl. Tact. 1.3): metaph., πόλιας θῆκεν ἐλαφροτέρας made them easier in condition, Epigr.Gr. 905 (Gortyn). Adv. -ρῶς nimbly, Ar. Ach. 217; ὀρχεῖσθαι πυρρίχην X. An. 6.1.12. III. metaph., light-minded, unsteady, fickle, πᾶν πλῆθός ἐστιν ἐ. Plb. 6.56.11; ἐ. λύσσα light-headed madness, E. Ba. 851. b. gentle, mild, σφᾶς αὐτοὺς -οτάτους τοῖς συνοῦσι παρέχοντας Isoc. 12.31, cf. Pl. Ep. 360c. 2. small, ποταμός Plb. 16.17.7; of small power or strength, πόλεις Id. 5.62.6. 3. relieved of a burden, ψυχὴ ἐ. καὶ διʼ αὑτῆς Plot. 4.3.32. IV. Ἐλαφρός· Ζεὺς ἐν Κρήτῃ, Hsch.

Key passages & sense analysis (Bonitz)

Index Aristotelicus. Hermann Bonitz's sense-by-sense analysis of ἐλαφρός — with the passages he singles out as decisive for each meaning — will appear here. That curated, interpretive selection is the layer LSJ and a raw concordance don't provide. Digitisation in progress; this entry is not yet available.

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