# classical greek "knowledge-seeker"



## textor

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to ask you about classical greek noun or expression describing "knowledge/wisdom-seeker"
I don't have any experience in classical  greek - only basic knowledge of alphabet (I was searching through Novum Lexicon Graecum but there was nothing related to "scientiae qaesitor"
my intuitive guess is Philoskopos ? φιλόσκοπος [based on* φιλό*σοφος + ὑδρό*σκοπος* ]  

Thanks in advance for help.


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## Acestor

The word I think you are looking for is  γνωσιθήρας.


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## Acestor

Mind you, the word is not part of the classical Greek corpus. It was coined by Adamantios Koraes in 1812.


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## textor

Acestor said:


> Mind you, the word is not part of the classical Greek corpus. It was coined by Adamantios Koraes in exce1812.


this word "γνωσιθήρας" (gnositheras - hope I deciphered it correctly ) I know gnosis γνῶσις ; but I don't know "θήρας" ??
Would you please be so kind and provide some analysis.
Thanks.


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## Acestor

Θήρα is hunting as well as prey, game. The stem -θήρας is used to describe a hunter or a seeker. Compounds with -θήρας in the classical Greek corpus are (based on a LSJ search):

αἰγοθήρας, ibex hunter
ἐλεφαντοθήρας, elephant hunter
κωνωποθήρας, gnat-catcher
λαγοθήρας, hare-hunter
μετεωροθήρας, a bird (or, figuratively, a philosopher) that hunts high in the air
ὀνοματοθήρας, word-hunter
ὀρνιθοθήρας, bird-catcher
σπογγοθήρας, diver for sponges
φυyαδοθήρας, one who hunts after runaways

The stem is even more popular in modern Greek, with words such as:

λαθροθήρας (poacher), χρυσοθήρας (gold seeker), φαλαινοθήρας (whale hunter)
ηδονοθήρας (pleasure seeker), λεξιθήρας (word hunter), προικοθήρας (dowry hunter), σκανδαλοθήρας (scandalmonger), ψηφοθήρας (vote-hunter)

Παράλληλη αναζήτηση


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## dmtrs

Of course the word textor used to 'create' a translation for 'wisdom-seeker' in the first place, 'φιλόσοφος', means exactly that: 'wisdom-seeker'!
Any wisdom-lover (exact translation of 'φιλόσοφος') is, by definition, a wisdom-seeker.
In ancient Greek 'επιστήμη' (science) was part of 'σοφία' (wisdom); it just meant 'deep,real knowledge'. Thus 'quaesitor scientiae' and 'φιλόσοφος' refer to the the same thing, as philosophy and science were not 'divided' yet.


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## Acestor

How true! And in fact I don't think there's another term that would do the job in classical Greek.


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## sotos

Φιλομαθής is a classical word for "knowledge-seeker". Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,  A Greek-English Lexicon, Φ φ, , φι^λόλογ-ος , φι^λομαθ-ής


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## textor

sotos said:


> Φιλομαθής is a classical word for "knowledge-seeker". Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,  A Greek-English Lexicon, Φ φ, , φι^λόλογ-ος , φι^λομαθ-ής


Thank You Sotos for the link to perseus.

Thank you all guys for help - Sotos, Acestor, dmtrs.
Ἐπαινῶ


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