Biblical Lexicon

που G4225

Adv | 7× in 3 senses

Somewhere, in some place; also 'where' (interrogative sense) and 'about, approximately' (with numbers).

This modest enclitic adverb pou does quiet but important work. It can mean 'somewhere' in a vague, indefinite way — the sailors in Acts 27:29 sensed they were drawing near 'somewhere' to land, and Hebrews cites Scripture with a casual 'someone has testified somewhere' (Heb 2:6; 4:4). It also serves as an interrogative 'where' (Mark 15:47; John 1:39). In Rom 4:19, it takes on the approximate sense of 'about' a hundred years old. French 'environ' and Spanish 'aproximadamente' pick up this numerical nuance, while German uniformly uses 'irgendwo' (somewhere) across nearly all contexts.

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Senses

1. where — Where — an interrogative or relative adverb of place asking or indicating location. Mary Magdalene saw 'where' Jesus was laid (Mark 15:47); the disciples ask 'where' Jesus is staying (John 1:39); the one who hates his brother does not know 'where' he is going (1 John 2:11). Spanish distinguishes 'dónde' (where?) from 'a dónde' (to where?), reflecting directional nuance the Greek leaves implicit. 3×

GEOGRAPHY_SPACE › Spacial Positions › Locative Interrogatives

AR["أَينَ", "أَيْنَ"]·ben["কোথায়"]·DE["irgendwo"]·EN["where"]·FR["quelque-part"]·heb["אֵיפֹה", "לְאָן"]·HI["कहाँ"]·ID["di-mana", "ke-mana"]·IT["circa", "pou"]·jav["ing-pundi", "pundi", "wonten-pundi"]·KO["어디-로", "어디에"]·PT["onde", "para-onde"]·RU["где", "куда"]·ES["a-dónde", "dónde"]·SW["wapi"]·TR["nerede", "nereye"]·urd["کہاں"]

Mark 15:47, John 1:39, 1 John 2:11

2. somewhere — Somewhere, in some place — an indefinite spatial or referential adverb. In Acts 27:29, the sailors suspect they are nearing 'somewhere' (land). Hebrews uses it for vague Scripture citation: 'someone has testified somewhere' (Heb 2:6; 4:4). Spanish 'en alguna parte' and 'en algún lugar' both render the indefiniteness, while French 'quelque part' captures the same casual imprecision. 3×

GEOGRAPHY_SPACE › Spacial Positions › Locative Interrogatives

AR["رُبَّمَا", "فِي-مَكَانٍ"]·ben["কোথাও"]·DE["irgendwo", "που"]·EN["somewhere"]·FR["environ", "quelque-part"]·heb["אֵיפֹה", "בְּמָקוֹם"]·HI["कहीं"]·ID["di-suatu-tempat", "entah-di-mana"]·IT["circa", "pou"]·jav["ing-pundi-pundi", "wonten-pundi"]·KO["어디에서", "어딘가에"]·PT["em-algum-lugar"]·RU["где-нибудь", "где-то"]·ES["en-alguna-parte", "en-algún-lugar"]·SW["mahali", "mahali-fulani"]·TR["belki", "bir-yerde"]·urd["کہیں"]

Acts 27:29, Heb 2:6, Heb 4:4

3. about — About, approximately — used with numbers to indicate rough estimation. In Rom 4:19, Abraham was 'about' (pou) a hundred years old. Spanish 'aproximadamente' and French 'environ' make the approximative function explicit, while German 'irgendwo' (somewhere) treats it as the same vague indefiniteness rather than a distinct numerical sense. 1×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Comparison › Comparison and Manner

AR["تَقريباً"]·ben["প্রায়"]·DE["irgendwo"]·EN["about"]·FR["environ"]·heb["כִּמְעַט"]·HI["लगभग"]·ID["kira-kira"]·IT["circa"]·jav["kirang-langkung"]·KO["어느덧"]·PT["mais-ou-menos"]·RU["примерно"]·ES["aproximadamente"]·SW["hivi"]·TR["civarında"]·urd["تقریباً"]

Rom 4:19

BDB / Lexicon Reference

που, Ionic dialect κου, Aeolic dialect ποι Refs 7th c.BC+:—enclitic adverb anywhere, somewhere, Refs 8th c.BC+; frequently with other Advs. of Place, οὐχ ἑκάς π. somewhere not far off, Refs 5th c.BC+; π. πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Refs 5th c.BC+ in some part there of the fields, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐμβαλεῖν π. (perhaps ποι) τῆς χώρας some part of the country, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II without reference to Place, in…