αἴνιγμα

See also: αίνιγμα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Verbal noun from the root of αἰνίσσομαι (ainíssomai, “speak in riddles”), from αἶνος (aînos, “fable”), +‎ -μα (-ma).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ǎi̯.niŋ.ma/ → /ˈɛ.niɣ.ma/ → /ˈe.niɣ.ma/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ǎi̯.niŋ.ma/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.niɡ.ma/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.niɣ.ma/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈe.niɣ.ma/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈe.niɣ.ma/

Noun

αἴνιγμα • (aínigma) n (genitive αἰνίγματος); third declension

1. riddle
2. taunt
3. An obscure method of communication
4. ambush

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ αἴνιγμᾰ; τοῦ αἰνίγμᾰτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ αἴνιγμᾰ tò aínigma	τὼ αἰνίγμᾰτε tṑ ainígmate	τᾰ̀ αἰνίγμᾰτᾰ tà ainígmata
Genitive	τοῦ αἰνίγμᾰτος toû ainígmatos	τοῖν αἰνιγμᾰ́τοιν toîn ainigmátoin	τῶν αἰνιγμᾰ́των tôn ainigmátōn
Dative	τῷ αἰνίγμᾰτῐ tôi ainígmati	τοῖν αἰνιγμᾰ́τοιν toîn ainigmátoin	τοῖς αἰνίγμᾰσῐ / αἰνίγμᾰσῐν toîs ainígmasi(n)
Accusative	τὸ αἴνιγμᾰ tò aínigma	τὼ αἰνίγμᾰτε tṑ ainígmate	τᾰ̀ αἰνίγμᾰτᾰ tà ainígmata
Vocative	αἴνιγμᾰ aínigma	αἰνίγμᾰτε ainígmate	αἰνίγμᾰτᾰ ainígmata
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: αίνιγμα (aínigma)
• → Latin: aenigma
  • → English: enigma, ænigma

References

• “αἴνιγμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “αἴνιγμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• αἴνιγμα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• αἴνιγμα in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “αἴνιγμα”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G135 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • conundrum idem, page 173.
  • enigma idem, page 275.
  • hint idem, page 400.
  • innuendo idem, page 442.
  • insinuation idem, page 445.
  • mystery idem, page 549.
  • parable idem, page 591.
  • riddle idem, page 713.