Πέρσης

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (p-a-r-s /⁠pārsa⁠/).

Connected by folk etymology to the verb πέρθω (pérthō, “to sack, ravage, destroy (a city); to slay (a person)”), due to the fact that ancient Greek-Persian relationships involved major military conflicts. This etymology is also found in Homer's Odyssey. This is also the explanation proferred for the name of the Titan, being the embodiment of destruction.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pér.sɛːs/ → /ˈper.sis/ → /ˈper.sis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pér.sɛːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈper.se̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈper.sis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈper.sis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈper.sis/

Proper noun

Πέρσης • (Pérsēs) m (genitive Πέρσου); first declension (Epic, Ionic, Attic, Koine)

1. Perses

Declension

First declension of ὁ Πέρσης; τοῦ Πέρσου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Πέρσης ho Pérsēs
Genitive	τοῦ Πέρσου toû Pérsou
Dative	τῷ Πέρσῃ tôi Pérsēi
Accusative	τὸν Πέρσην tòn Pérsēn
Vocative	Πέρση Pérsē
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Noun

Πέρσης • (Pérsēs) m (genitive Πέρσου); first declension (Epic, Ionic, Attic, Koine)

1. a Persian

Declension

First declension of ὁ Πέρσης; τοῦ Πέρσου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ Πέρσης ho Pérsēs	τὼ Πέρσᾱ tṑ Pérsā	οἱ Πέρσαι hoi Pérsai
Genitive	τοῦ Πέρσου toû Pérsou	τοῖν Πέρσαιν toîn Pérsain	τῶν Περσῶν tôn Persôn
Dative	τῷ Πέρσῃ tôi Pérsēi	τοῖν Πέρσαιν toîn Pérsain	τοῖς Πέρσαις toîs Pérsais
Accusative	τὸν Πέρσην tòn Pérsēn	τὼ Πέρσᾱ tṑ Pérsā	τοὺς Πέρσᾱς toùs Pérsās
Vocative	Πέρσᾰ Pérsa	Πέρσᾱ Pérsā	Πέρσαι Pérsai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First declension of ὁ Πέρσης; τοῦ Πέρσεω (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ Πέρσης ho Pérsēs	τὼ Πέρσᾱ tṑ Pérsā	οἱ Πέρσαι hoi Pérsai
Genitive	τοῦ Πέρσεω / Πέρσω toû Pérseō / Pérsō	τοῖν Πέρσαιν toîn Pérsain	τῶν Περσέων / Περσῶν tôn Perséōn / Persôn
Dative	τῷ Πέρσῃ tôi Pérsēi	τοῖν Πέρσαιν toîn Pérsain	τοῖσῐ / τοῖσῐν Πέρσῃσῐ / Πέρσῃσῐν toîsi(n) Pérsēisi(n)
Accusative	τὸν Πέρσην tòn Pérsēn	τὼ Πέρσᾱ tṑ Pérsā	τοὺς Πέρσᾱς toùs Pérsās
Vocative	Πέρσᾰ Pérsa	Πέρσᾱ Pérsā	Πέρσαι Pérsai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• Περσικός (Persikós)
• Περσική (Persikḗ)
• Περσίς (Persís)
• Περσιστί (Persistí)

Descendants

• Greek: Πέρσης (Pérsis) (plural Πέρσες (Pérses))
• Latin: Perses (plural Persae)

References

• “Πέρσης”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Πέρσης”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,021

Greek

Noun

Πέρσης • (Pérsis) m (plural Πέρσες, feminine Περσίδα)

1. A Persian man

Declension

Declension of Πέρσης

	singular	plural
nominative	Πέρσης •	Πέρσες •
genitive	Πέρση •	Περσών •
accusative	Πέρση •	Πέρσες •
vocative	Πέρση •	Πέρσες •

Related terms

see: Περσία