βαλιός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The formation is similar to πολιός (poliós, “grey”) and other colour adjectives. Since *b- is rare in Proto-Indo-European, it has been considered a loanword from another language, perhaps Thracian, Phrygian and Illyrian. If so, the genuinely Greek cognate would have to be φαλιός (phaliós, “with a white spot”). Pokorny posits Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“shiny, white”). Also Comparing Albanian ballë (“horse with a white spot on its forehead”), close to Proto-Albanian *balā, or from it.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ba.li.ós/ → /βa.liˈos/ → /va.liˈos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ba.li.ós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ba.liˈos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βa.liˈos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /va.liˈos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /va.liˈos/

Adjective

βᾰλῐός • (baliós) m (feminine βᾰλῐᾱ́, neuter βᾰλῐόν); first/second declension

1. spotted, dappled, mottled

   Synonyms: ποικῐ́λος (poikílos), ῥᾰντός (rhantós)

2. swift, rapid, fast

Inflection

First and second declension of βᾰλῐός; βᾰλῐᾱ́; βᾰλῐόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		βᾰλῐός baliós	βᾰλῐᾱ́ baliā́	βᾰλῐόν balión		βᾰλῐώ baliṓ	βᾰλῐᾱ́ baliā́	βᾰλῐώ baliṓ		βᾰλῐοί balioí	βᾰλῐαί baliaí	βᾰλῐᾰ́ baliá
Genitive		βᾰλῐοῦ balioû	βᾰλῐᾶς baliâs	βᾰλῐοῦ balioû		βᾰλῐοῖν balioîn	βᾰλῐαῖν baliaîn	βᾰλῐοῖν balioîn		βᾰλῐῶν baliôn	βᾰλῐῶν baliôn	βᾰλῐῶν baliôn
Dative		βᾰλῐῷ baliôi	βᾰλῐᾷ baliâi	βᾰλῐῷ baliôi		βᾰλῐοῖν balioîn	βᾰλῐαῖν baliaîn	βᾰλῐοῖν balioîn		βᾰλῐοῖς balioîs	βᾰλῐαῖς baliaîs	βᾰλῐοῖς balioîs
Accusative		βᾰλῐόν balión	βᾰλῐᾱ́ν baliā́n	βᾰλῐόν balión		βᾰλῐώ baliṓ	βᾰλῐᾱ́ baliā́	βᾰλῐώ baliṓ		βᾰλῐούς balioús	βᾰλῐᾱ́ς baliā́s	βᾰλῐᾰ́ baliá
Vocative		βᾰλῐέ balié	βᾰλῐᾱ́ baliā́	βᾰλῐόν balión		βᾰλῐώ baliṓ	βᾰλῐᾱ́ baliā́	βᾰλῐώ baliṓ		βᾰλῐοί balioí	βᾰλῐαί baliaí	βᾰλῐᾰ́ baliá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		βᾰλῐῶς baliôs				βᾰλῐώτερος baliṓteros				βᾰλῐώτᾰτος baliṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• Βᾰλῐ́ος (Balíos)

Further reading

• “βαλιός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βαλιός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• βαλιός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βαλιός in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN