ψάμμος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain. Could be from a *ψάφμος (*psáphmos) (compare the pair γράφω (gráphō), γράμμα (grámma)), and thus perhaps related to ψαφαρός (psapharós, “powdery, sandy”), ψῆφος (psêphos, “pebble”), as well as Latin sabulum. Possibly from the same root as ψῆν (psên, “to rub, grate, scratch”), though the formal relationship, if there is one, is unknown. Onomatopoeia may be involved.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /psám.mos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpsam.mos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpsam.mos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpsam.mos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpsa.mos/

Noun

ψᾰ́μμος • (psámmos) f or m (genitive ψᾰ́μμου); second declension

sand
Synonym: ψάμαθος (psámathos)
something worthless
metallic ore used by alchemists
desert

Usage notes

Normally feminine, sometimes masculine.

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ, ἡ ψᾰ́μμος; τοῦ, τῆς ψᾰ́μμου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ, ἡ ψᾰ́μμος ho, hē psámmos	τὼ ψᾰ́μμω tṑ psámmō	οἱ, αἱ ψᾰ́μμοι hoi, hai psámmoi
Genitive	τοῦ, τῆς ψᾰ́μμου toû, tês psámmou	τοῖν ψᾰ́μμοιν toîn psámmoin	τῶν ψᾰ́μμων tôn psámmōn
Dative	τῷ, τῇ ψᾰ́μμῳ tôi, têi psámmōi	τοῖν ψᾰ́μμοιν toîn psámmoin	τοῖς, ταῖς ψᾰ́μμοις toîs, taîs psámmois
Accusative	τὸν, τὴν ψᾰ́μμον tòn, tḕn psámmon	τὼ ψᾰ́μμω tṑ psámmō	τοὺς, τᾱ̀ς ψᾰ́μμους toùs, tā̀s psámmous
Vocative	ψᾰ́μμε psámme	ψᾰ́μμω psámmō	ψᾰ́μμοι psámmoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ψάμμινος (psámminos)
ψαμμόγεως (psammógeōs)
ψαμμοδύτης (psammodútēs)
ψαμμοειδής (psammoeidḗs)

Related terms

ἄμμος (ámmos, “sand”)

References

“ψάμμος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ψάμμος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“ψάμμος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
ψάμμος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
ψάμμος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
“ψάμμος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ψῆν”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1665–1666
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ψῆφος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1666–1667