γενναῖος

gennaios

true to oneʼs birth

Appears 18 times across Aristotle's works.

Frequency by work

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

History of Animals 5
Open History of Animals ›
Book I 2
Chapter 1 486a5–488b28

488b17
488b19
Book VI 2
Chapter 1 558b8–559a14

558b15
558b16
Book IX 1
Chapter 47 630b31–631a7

631a2
Generation of Animals 4
Open Generation of Animals ›
Book I 1
Chapter 21 729a34–730a31

730a10
Book III 2
Chapter 1 749a10–752a8

749b31
749b33
Book V 1
Chapter 7 786b7–788b2

786b35
Rhetoric 4
Open Rhetoric ›
Book II 4
Chapter 15 1390b14–31

1390b22

Chapter 23 1397a7–1400b33

1398a18
1398a19
1398a19
Politics 2
Open Politics ›
Book III 1
Chapter 13 1283a23–1284b34

1283a35
Book IV 1
Chapter 12 1296b13–1297a13

1296b22
De Mundo 1
Open De Mundo ›
Chapter 7 401a12–401b29

401b24
Physiognomonics 1
Open Physiognomonics ›
Chapter 5 809a26–810a13

809b10
De Virtutibus et Vitiis 1
Open De Virtutibus et Vitiis ›
Chapter 6 1250b19–1251a18

1250b40

Dictionary (LSJ)

γενναῖος, α, ον, also ος, ον E. Hec. 592: (γέννα):—A. true to oneʼs birth or descent (εὐγενὲς μέν ἐστι τὸ ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ γένους, γενναῖον δὲ τὸ μὴ ἐξιστάμενον ἐκ τῆς αὑτοῦ φύσεως Arist. HA 488b19, cf. Rh. 1390b22), οὔ μοι γενναῖον ἀλυσκάζοντι μάχεσθαι Il. 5.253 (nowhere else in Hom.); γενναῖον δέ σοι ταχέως ὑπακούειν Ar. Fr. 28 D.: hence, I. of persons, high-born, noble, Archil. 107, etc.; τέκνα Hdt. 1.173; ὦ γονῇ γενναῖε S. OT 1469; ἐσθλοὺς ἔκ τε γενναίων γεγῶτας Id. Fr. 107.3; γενναῖός τις ἑπτὰ πάππους ἔχων ἀποφῆναι Pl. Tht. 174e; οἱ γ., opp. οἱ ἀγεννεῖς, Arist. Pol. 1296b22; so of animals, well-bred, σκύλαξ Pl. R. 375a, X. Cyr. 1.4.15; opp. ἀγεννής, Arist. HA 558b16. 2. noble in mind, high-minded, Hdt. 3.140 (Sup.), S. El. 129 (lyr.), etc.; τὸ γ., = γενναιότης, Id. OC 569; of actions, noble, Hdt. 1.37; λῆμα γ. Pi. P. 8.44; τλάσας τὸ γ. S. OC 1640, cf. E. Alc. 624; γ. ἔπος, λόγοι, πόνοι, S. Ph. 1402, E. Heracl. 537, HF 357 (lyr.). 3. as a form of polite speech, γενναῖος εἶ you are very good, Ar. Th. 220. b. ὦ γενναῖε, common form of address in Pl., as Grg. 494e, cf. S. Ph. 801; ironical, D.H. 7.46. II. of things, good of their kind, excellent, μέλος A. Fr. 281.5; σταφυλή, σῦκα, Pl. Lg. 844e; γενναίου . . ἄξιον οὐθενός of no great use, Ath.Mech. 31.2; ironical, γένει γ. σοφιστική Pl. Sph. 231b (cf. 1.1), etc.; genuine, intense, δύη S. Aj. 938, etc.; violent, σεισμός Philostr. VA 6.38; θάλπη Jul. Or. 2.101d. b. γενναῖον· τὸ τῆς γενέσεως ἀρχηγόν, Hsch. III. Adv. -αίως nobly, Hdt. 7.139, Th. 2.41, Pl. La. 196b, Men. 672; ὅρκος, πῆγμα γ. παγέν A. Ag. 1198; ironical, μάλα γ. ἐπιλαθόμενον ὧν εὖ πάθοι Jul. Or. 3.125c: Comp. -οτέρως Pl. Tht. 166c, Ps.-Callisth. 1.38: Sup. -ότατα E. Cyc. 657 (lyr.). 2. irreg. Sup. γενναιέστατος Dinol. 10.

Key passages & sense analysis (Bonitz)

Index Aristotelicus. Hermann Bonitz's sense-by-sense analysis of γενναῖος — 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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