κωφός

κωφ-ός, ή, όν,

A blunt, dull, obtuse, opp.

ὀξύς, κ. βέλος Il.11.390

, cf. E.Fr.495.27;

κ. καλάμη AP12.25

(Stat.Flacc.).

II metaph.,

1 of sound, mute, noiseless,

κύματι κωφῷ Il.14.16

; κωφὴν γὰρ δὴ γαῖαν ἀεικίζει is maltreating dumb, senseless earth, 24.54; τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἔσκε κωφά the other parts sounded dull, opp. to the ringing of the hollow parts when struck, Hdt.4.200: neut. pl. as Adv.,

κωφὰ δὲ πόντος κεῖτο Orph.A.1103

; ὁ κ. λιμήν, prob. the bay of Munychia, as opp. to the noisy Piraeus, X.HG2.4.31; κωφότερος ὁ ψόφος ἔσται, i.e. muffled, Aen.Tact.19; τῶν μεταλλικῶν κωφότατος [ὁ σίδηρος] rings least, Plu.2.721f;

κωφοὶ ἄνεμοι D.S.3.51

.

2 after Hom., of men or animals, dumb, Parm.6.7, etc.; καὶ κωφοῦ συνίημι καὶ οὐ φωνεῦντος ἀκούω Orac. ap. Hdt.1.47; οὐ . . παρὰ κωφὸν ὁ τυφλὸς ἔοικε λαλῆσαι, i.e. is not so dumb but that he will answer the blind fool who assails him, Cratin.6;

κωφότερος κίχλης Eub.29

; κ. χάρις a mute gift (sc. an epitaph), Epigr.Gr.298 ([place name] Teos); so

κωφοῖς δάκρυσι IPE2.299

([place name] Panticapaeum); κ. τάφοι prob. in IG12(8).441.26; κ. προσωπεῖον mute figure on the stage, Ph.2.520, cf. Plu.2.791e;

κ. πρόσωπον Cic. Att.13.19.3

; κ. καὶ ἄλογος, of a house, with no echoes, Luc.Dom. 1.

b deaf, h.Merc.92, Heraclit.34.A.Th.202, Ch.881;

λήθην κωφήν, ἄναυδον S.Fr.670

; ὅσοι γίνονται κ. ἐκ γενετῆς, πάντες καὶ ἐνεοὶ γίνονται Arist.HA536b3 (hence of a deaf and dumb person, Hdt.1.34, BGU 1196.49 (i B. C.), cf. Hsch.); c.gen.,

κωφὴ ἀκοῆς αἴσθησις Antiph.196.5

, cj. in Pl.Lg.932a; κ. Ἑλλάδος φωνᾶς deaf of one's Greek ear, i.e. ignorant of Greek, Dialex.6.12;

σπαράγματα κωφὰ τοῦ βεβαιοῦντος Plu.2.1108d

.

c metaph.,

νοῦς ὁρῇ καὶ νοῦς ἀκούει· τἆλλα κωφὰ καὶ τυφλά Epich.249

;

κ. πέτρος Moschio

Trag.7;

μαψαῦραι Call.Fr.67

;

ἐρημία D.S.3.40

: neut. pl. as Adv.,

κωφὰ χλιαίνεσθαι

feebly,

AP12.125

(Mel.).

3 ὄμμα κ. vacant, lack-lustre eye, Arist.Phgn.807b23.

4 of the senses in general, dull, Thphr.Sens.19 ([comp] Comp.).

5 of the mind, dull, obtuse,

ἐγὼ ὁ πάντα κ. S.Aj.911

, cf. Pi.P.9.87;

τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ποιεῖν κ. Pl.Ti.88b

: κωφοί, οἱ, 'the Dullards', title of satyr-play by Sophocles.

b of things, senseless, unmeaning, obscure,

κ. καὶ παλαί' ἔπη S.OT290

;

κ. διήγησις Plb.3.36.4

, cf. 5.21.4;

ὑπόνοια Phld.Mus.p.71

K.;

σκῶμμα Plu.2.712a

; but κ. εὐπραγίαι is prob.f.l.for κοῦφαι, D.C.38.27. Adv.-φῶς obscurely, Vett.Val.251.25: [comp] Comp. -ότερον, ἐνοχλεῖν less acutely, Phld.Vit.p.21 J.