μένος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ménos (“mind”), from *men- (“to think”). Cognates include Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬋 (manō) and Sanskrit मनस् (mánas).

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /ménos/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /mɛ́nos/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /ménos/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /ménos/

• (15th AD Constantinopolitan): IPA: /ménos/

Noun

μένος (genitive μένεος or μένους); n, third declension; (menos)

1. mind
2. desire, ardor, wish, purpose
3. anger
4. courage, spirit, vigor
5. power, strength, force
6. violence

Inflection

Third declension of μένος, μένεος (uncontracted)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	μένος	μένεε	μένεᾰ
Genitive	μένεος	μενέοιν	μενέων
Dative	μένεϊ	μενέοιν	μένεσσῐ(ν)
Accusative	μένος	μένεε	μένεᾰ
Vocative	μένος	μένεε	μένεᾰ

This inflection pattern originally had a sigma (i.e. μένεσος), which was dropped early on in the history of Ancient Greek.

Third declension of μένος, μένους (contracted)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	μένος	μένει	μένη
Genitive	μένους	μενοῖν	μενῶν
Dative	μένει	μενοῖν	μένεσῐ(ν)
Accusative	μένος	μένει	μένη
Vocative	μένος	μένει	μένη

The irregular accentuation of this paradigm is explained by the fact that it is the contracted version of the above paradigm.

Related terms

• μενεαίνω
• μενοινάω

References

• LSJ