Lexical Definition

‎τίς‎ tís (tis) which? ^G:I
probably emphatic of ‎τὶς‎

every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.

• an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions)

Abbott-Smith

τίς, neut., τί, gen., τίνος, interrog. pron., [in LXX for מָה מִי ;] in masc. and fem.,
who, which, what?; in neut., which, what?, used both in direct and in indirect questions.
I. As subst.,
1. masc., fem.: τίς; who, what?, Mt 3:7 26:68; Mk 11:28, Lk 9:9, al. mult.; c. gen. partit., Ac 7:52, He 1:5, al; seq. ἐκ (= gen. partit.), Mt 6:27, Lk 14:28, Jo 8:46; = ποῖος, Mk 4:41 6:2, Lk 19:3, Ac 17:19, al.; = πότερος (M, Pr., 77), Mt 21:31 27:17, Lk 22:27, al.; = ὅς or ὅστις (rare in cl.; cf. Bl., §50, 5; M, Pr., 93), Ac 13:25.
2. Neut.: τί; what?, Mt 5:47 11:7, Mk 10:3, al.; χάριν τίνος, I Jo 3:12; διὰ τί, Mt 9:11, al.; εἰς τί, Mt 14:31, al.; elliptically, ἵνα τί (sc. γένηται), why, Mt 9:5, al.; τί οὖν, Ro 3:9 6:1, 15 I Co 14:15, al.; τί γάρ, Ro 3:3, Phl 1:18; τί ἐμοὶ (ὑμῖν) καὶ σοί, v.s. ἔγω.
II. As adj.: who? what? which?, Mt 5:46, Lk 14:31, Jo 2:18, al.
III. As adv.: = διὰ τι (τί ὅτι), why, Mt 6:28, Mk 4:40, Lk 6:46, Jo 18:23, al.; in rhet. questions, = a negation, Mt 27:4, Jo 21:22, 23 I Co 5:12 7:16, al. in exclamations (like Heb. מָה), how (II Ki 6:20, Ps 3:2*, al.), Lk 12:49.

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

τίς

__B Interrog. pronoun τίς, Elean and Laconian dialect τίρ (which see), τί:—genitive Epic dialect and Ionic dialect τέο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Trag. and Attic dialect τοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect, Trag., and Attic dialect τίνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative Ionic dialect τέῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; no dative in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Trag. and Attic dialect τῷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect τίῳ [Refs 7th c.BC+]; τίνι first in [NT+8th c.BC+]; genitive Epic dialect τέων [Refs 8th c.BC+], and as monosyllable [Refs]; Trag. and Attic dialect τίνων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative τίσι first in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect τέοισι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect τίοισι [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect τά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Megarian dialect σά [Refs 5th c.BC+]: of the plural [Refs 8th c.BC+] with genitive τέω; ποῖος (what? which?) is sometimes preferred (especially in neuter plural) to the adjective τίς, e.g. τὰ ποῖα ταῦτα χρήματ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.I in direct questions, who? which? neuter what? which? ὦ ξεῖνοι, τίνες ἐστ; [τίς δαίμων τόδε πῆμα προσήγαγ; 17.446 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; τίς ἀχώ, τίς ὀδμὰ προσέπτα μ᾽ ἀφεγγή; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; properly at the beginning of the sentence; but this position may be varied,
__B.I.a for grammatical reasons, as between the Article and participle or noun, τοὺς τί ποιοῦντας τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο ἀποκαλοῦσι; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῆς περὶ τί πειθοῦς ἡ ῥητορική ἐστιν τέχν; [Refs]; ὁ σοφιστὴς τῶν τί σοφῶν ἐστι; [Refs]
__B.I.b for emphasis, ἃ δ᾽ ἐννέπεις, κλύουσα τοῦ λέγει; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πόλις τε ἀφισταμένη τίς πω.. τούτῳ ἐπεχείρησ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially when the Verb begins the sentence, δράσεις δὲ δὴ τ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἦλθες δὲ κατὰ τ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; διαφέρει δὲ τ; [τίς θεῶ; 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 18.182, etc.">Refs 8th c.BC+]; and of things or conditions, τί is frequently with the genitive singular, of all genders, πρὸς τί χρεία; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐλπίδων ἐς τ; [Refs]
__B.I.2 sometimes as the predicate, τίς ὀνομάζετα; what is he named? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so also may be explained the union of τίς with a demonstrative or possessive pronoun, or with a Noun preceded by the Article, τί τοῦτ᾽ ἔλεξα; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί ἐστι τουτ; τίς ὁ τρόπος τοῦ τάγματο; [Refs]; also with pronoun in plural, τί ταῦτ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί γὰρ τάδ᾽ ἐστί; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί ποτ᾽ ἐστίν, ἂ διανοούμεθ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί ποτ᾽ ἐστὶ ταῦτα[Refs]; so τί is used as predicate of a masculine or feminine subject, τί νιν προσείπ; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τί σοι φαίνεται ὁ νεανίσκο; [Refs 5th c.BC+] —also τίς δ᾽ ὅδε Ναυσικάᾳ ἕπεται; who is this that follows N.? [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τίς δ᾽ οὗτος ἔρχεα; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; and in the reverse order, τήνδε τίνα λεύσσω..; who is this I see? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίνι οὖν τοιούτῳ φίλους ἂν θηρῴη; with what means of such kind.. ? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί τοσοῦτον νομίζοντες ἠδικῆσθα; [Refs]; τί με τὸ δεινὸν ἐργάσ; what is the dreadful thing which.. ? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίν᾽ ὄψιν σὴν προσδέρκομα; what face is this I see of thine? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παρὰ τίνας τοὺς ὑμᾶ; who are 'you' to whom [I am to come]? [Refs 5th c.BC+] —the _Article_ is exceptionally added to τίς, when it leads up to a word which requires the Article, ληφθήσει.. Πανήμου εἰκάδι· καὶ Λῴου τῇ--τίν; τῇ δεκάτῃ on the twentieth of the month Panemus and of Loüs on the --what day? the tenth, [Refs 3rd c.BC+] —in Comedy texts also τὸ τί; what is that? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῦ τίνος χάρι; [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; and with plural Article, τὰ τ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.I.3 with properly names treated as appellatives (see. τις indefinite [τίς ἆρα Κύπρις ἢ τίς Ἵμερο; 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Fragmenta” 874 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίς σε Θηρικλῆς ποτε ἔτευξ; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τίς.. Χίμαιρα πύρπνοο; [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__B.I.4 τίς ἂν θεῶν.. δοί; like{πῶς ἄν}, would that some one.. , [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.I.5 a question with τίς often amounts to a strong negation, τῶν δ᾽ ἄλλων τίς κεν οὐνόματ᾽ εἴπο; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τίς ἂν ἐξεύροι ποτ᾽ ἄμεινο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίνες ἂν δικαιότερον.. μισοῖντ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.I.6 sometimes two questions are asked in one clause by different cases of τί; ἡ τίσιν τί ἀποδιδοῦσα τέχνη δικαιοσύνη ἂν καλοῖτ; [τίς with other \_interrogative\_ words, τίς πόθεν εἰς (εἶς codices) ἀνδρῶ; 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.170, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Trachiniae” 421. ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.I.7 τίς with Particles:—τίς γά; why who? who possibly? τίς γάρ σε θεῶν.. ἧκε; [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.I.7.b τίς δ; ὦ κοῦραι, τίς δ᾽ ὔμμιν.. πωλεῖτα; [Refs]
__B.I.7.c τίς δ; who then? τίς δή κεν βροτὸς.. ἅζοιτ᾽ ἀθανάτους [Refs 6th c.BC+]; τίς δῆτ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.I.7.d τίς ποτ; who in the world? who ever? τίς ποτ᾽ ὢν γενεὰν καὶ ποίαν τινὰ φύσιν ἔχω; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίς δήποτ; [τίς ἄν ποτε is probably conjecture). ">Refs]
__B.I.8 the usages of the neuter τ; are very various:
__B.I.8.a τ; alone, as a simple question, what? τί γά; [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—on ὅτι τ; ὅτι τί δ; ὅτι δὴ τ; see at {ὅτι} [Refs 5th c.BC+]; on ὡς τ; see {ὡς} F.1.
__B.I.8.b τί τοῦτ; τί ταῦτ; see above 2.
__B.I.8.c τί μο; τί σο; what is it to me? to thee? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with genitive, τί μοι ἔριδος καὶ ἀρωγῆ; what have I to do with.. ? [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τί δέ σοι ταῦτ; [Refs 5th c.BC+] (where the answerer repeats the question in indirect form, ὅ τί μοι τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι;); ἀλλὰ δὴ τί τοῦτ᾽ ἐμο; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σο; what have I to do with thee? [LXX+2nd c.AD+]; τί σοὶ καὶ εἰρήν; [LXX]; τί πρὸσσ; [NT+2nd c.AD+]; σοὶ δὲ καὶ τούτοισι τοῖσι πρήγμασι τί ἐστ; what have you to do with these matters? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τῇ βασάν; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; or with infinitive, τί γάρ μοι τοὺς ἔξω κρίνει; [NT]
__B.I.8.d τίμαθώ; τί παθώ; see at {μανθάνω} see, πάσχω [Refs]
__B.I.8.e τ; also often stands absolutely as adverb how? why? wherefore? [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so too in Attic dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δόμων γὰρ ζῶσι τῶνδε δεσπόται. Answ. τί ζῶσι; how do you mean ζῶσι ζῶσι forsooth! [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Κιθαιρὼν--Answ. τί Κιθαιρώ; what aboutK.? [Refs]; compare τίη.
__B.I.8.f τί with Particles: -τί γά; why not? how else? and so it came to mean of course, no doubt, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; used in affirmative answers, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to introduce an argument, [Refs 4th c.BC+] —τί δαί; see at {δαί}:—τί δ; serving to pass on quickly to a fresh point, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί δέ, εἰ..; but what, if.. ? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί δ᾽ ἄν, εἰ..; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί δ᾽ ἢν..; [Refs]; τί δέ, εἰ μὴ..; what else but.. ? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so τί δὲ δ; τί δ; τί δή ποτ; why ever? why in the world? what do you mean? [Refs 5th c.BC+] —so also τί δῆτα; how, pray? τί δῆτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ..; [Refs 5th c.BC+] — (τί μή; falsa lectio in [Refs 5th c.BC+] —τί μήν; i.e. yes certainly, much like{τί γάρ}; [Refs 5th c.BC+] —τί μὴν οὔ; in reply to a question, [Refs] —τί νυ; why now? [Refs 8th c.BC+] —τί δ᾽ οὔ; parenthetic, why not? as an affirmative answer, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί οὐ καλοῦμε; i.e. let us call, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί οὐ βαδίζομε; etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+] —τί οὖν; how so? making an objection, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τί οὖν οὐκ ἐρωτᾷ; [Refs 5th c.BC+] —τί ποτε; see at {τίπτε};
__B.I.8.g with Conjunctions following:—τί ὅτι..; why is it that.. ? [NT+5th c.BC+]; see at {ἵνα} [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.I.8.h with Preps.:—διὰ τ; wherefore? [Refs 5th c.BC+] —ἐκ τίνος; from what cause? [Refs 5th c.BC+] —ἐς τί; to what point? how long? [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but also, to what end? [Refs 5th c.BC+] —κατὰ τί; for what purpose? [Refs 5th c.BC+] —πρὸς τί; wherefore? [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.II τίς is sometimes used for ὅστις in indirect questions, εἰρώτα δὴ ἔπειτα τίς εἴη καὶ πόθεν ἔλθοι [τίς ἔσται τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ χρόνος 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 623; οὐδ᾽ ἔχω τίς ἂν γενοίμαν [prev. work] 905 (Lyric poetry)">Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐκ ἔχω τί φῶ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; frequently in later Gr., where ὅστις is very rare, εἰς τὸ λογιστήριον γράφων.. τί ὀφείλεται [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; οὐθεὶς ἐσήμηνεν παρὰ τί ἂν τοῖς προστεταγμένοις.. οὐ κατηκολούθησαν nobody indicated why they should not have obeyed orders, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ὅστις and τίς are sometimes combined, ὡς πύθοιθ᾽ ὅ τι δρῶν ἢ τί φωνῶν ῥυσαίμην [Refs 5th c.BC+] —later with infinitive, τί πράττειν οὐκ ἔχω I do not know what to do, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.II.b sometimes not in indirect questions, whoever, whatever, αἰτοῦ τί χρῄζεις ἕν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ταῦτα οὐκ ἀπέστελλον πάντα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκλεγόμενοι τίνων αἱ τιμαὶ ἐπετέταντο whatever things had risen in price, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τίνα δ᾽ ἁ Κύπρις οὐκ ἐφίλησεν whomsoever K. has not loved, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; τίνι ἡ τύχη δίδωσι, λαβέτω Antiochusap.[Refs 3rd c.BC+], see above[τίς ἂν δὲ χεῖρα προσαγάγῃ “epigram Gr.” 376a (from Aezani)">Refs 4th c.BC+]; τίς σοφός, αὐτῷ προσκολλήθητι [LXX+NT]; τίς σοφίῃ πάντων πρῶτος, τούτου τρίποδ᾽ αὐδῶ Oracle texts cited in [Refs 1st c.BC+] Cobet from [τίς ποτ᾽ εἶ “IG” 9 (2).953 (from Larissa), compare “CIG” “Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum” “Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum” 1982 (from Thessalonica)">Refs 5th c.BC+]; in other places, as [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.II.c τίς ={ὅστις} after a negative, μή τίς ἐστιν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀνὴρ ἢ γυνὴ.., τίνος ἡ διάνοια ἐξέκλινεν κτλ.; [LXX]
__B.II.d = {ὅς} or ὅσπερ, τέων.. Ζεὺς ἐπὶ σαλπίγγων ἱρὰ βοῇ δέχεται Κᾶρες ὁμοῦ Λελέγεσσι [τίς τὸν ἐμὸν ἄνδρα εἶχε “Tab.Defix.Aud.” 10.4 (Cnidus, 2nd-1st c.BC)">Refs 3rd c.BC+], compare 5.2,8; τίνας ἱερεωσύνας εἶχον ἐπενεγύων [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τίνα με ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγώ [NT]; τίς ἔζησεν ἔτη β who lived.., [Refs]; εὗρον γεωργόν, τίς αὐτὰ ἑλκύσῃ [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__B.II.2 τί; τ; in direct or indirect questions may be construed with a participle, σὺ δὲ τίς ὢν ταῦτα λέγει; being who, i.e. who are you that.. ? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καταμεμάθηκας.. τοὺς τί ποιοῦντας τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο ἀποκαλοῦσ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; νῦν δ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τίνος τέχνης ἐπιστήμων ἐστί, τίνα ἂν καλοῦντες αὐτὸν ὀρθῶς καλοῖμε; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.III = {πότερος}; [NT+5th c.BC+]
__B.IV τί as exclamatory adverb, how.. ! τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόνες [LXX]; τί θέλω how I wish! [NT]; τί στενή variant in [NT]
__C Prosody: τις and τίς keep ῐ in all cases (digamma operates in [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__C.II τί was never elided; but hiatus is allowed after τί in Epic dialect τί ἢ (see. τίη), also in Comedy texts, as τί ο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί οὖ; [Refs]; τί ἔστ; [Refs]; τί, ὦ πάτε; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί οὖ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί εἶπα; [Refs]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Heb.5.12 ☩ LXX.Judg.11.12 ☩ John.2.4 ☩ LXX.Hos.14.9* ☩ Matt.27.4 ☩ 1Cor.5.12 ☩ LXX.Gen.3.1 ☩ Luke.2.49 ☩ Mark.14.36 ☩ LXX.Deut.29.18 ☩ Acts.13.25 ☩ Matt.27.21 ☩ Luke.5.23 ☩ LXX.Song.1.10 ☩ Luke.12.49 ☩ Matt.7.14}