δίδυμος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Reduplication from δύο (dúo, “two”), with a suffix -μο; compare ἀμφίδυμος (amphídumos, “double”). Analogical formations like τρίδυμος (trídumos) show that this word was connected with δίς (dís, “twice”), at least at a later date.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /dí.dy.mos/ → /ˈði.ðy.mos/ → /ˈði.ði.mos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /dí.dy.mos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈdi.dy.mos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈði.ðy.mos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈði.ðy.mos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈði.ði.mos/

Adjective

δῐ́δῠμος • (dídumos) m (feminine δῐδῠ́μη, neuter δῐ́δῠμον); first/second declension

1. double, twofold
2. twin

Declension

First and second declension of δῐ́δῠμος; δῐδῠ́μη; δῐ́δῠμον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		δῐ́δῠμος dídumos	δῐδῠ́μη didúmē	δῐ́δῠμον dídumon		δῐδῠ́μω didúmō	δῐδῠ́μᾱ didúmā	δῐδῠ́μω didúmō		δῐ́δῠμοι dídumoi	δῐ́δῠμαι dídumai	δῐ́δῠμᾰ díduma
Genitive		δῐδῠ́μου didúmou	δῐδῠ́μης didúmēs	δῐδῠ́μου didúmou		δῐδῠ́μοιν didúmoin	δῐδῠ́μαιν didúmain	δῐδῠ́μοιν didúmoin		δῐδῠ́μων didúmōn	δῐδῠ́μων didúmōn	δῐδῠ́μων didúmōn
Dative		δῐδῠ́μῳ didúmōi	δῐδῠ́μῃ didúmēi	δῐδῠ́μῳ didúmōi		δῐδῠ́μοιν didúmoin	δῐδῠ́μαιν didúmain	δῐδῠ́μοιν didúmoin		δῐδῠ́μοις didúmois	δῐδῠ́μαις didúmais	δῐδῠ́μοις didúmois
Accusative		δῐ́δῠμον dídumon	δῐδῠ́μην didúmēn	δῐ́δῠμον dídumon		δῐδῠ́μω didúmō	δῐδῠ́μᾱ didúmā	δῐδῠ́μω didúmō		δῐδῠ́μους didúmous	δῐδῠ́μᾱς didúmās	δῐ́δῠμᾰ díduma
Vocative		δῐ́δῠμε dídume	δῐδῠ́μη didúmē	δῐ́δῠμον dídumon		δῐδῠ́μω didúmō	δῐδῠ́μᾱ didúmā	δῐδῠ́μω didúmō		δῐ́δῠμοι dídumoi	δῐ́δῠμαι dídumai	δῐ́δῠμᾰ díduma
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		δῐδῠ́μως didúmōs				δῐδῠμώτερος didumṓteros				δῐδῠμώτᾰτος didumṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Noun

δῐ́δῠμος • (dídumos) m (genitive δῐδῠ́μου); second declension

1. (in the plural) twins
2. (astronomy) Gemini
3. (anatomy, in the plural) testicles

   Synonym: ὄρχῐς (órkhis)

4. (anatomy, in the plural) ovaries

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ δῐ́δῠμος; τοῦ δῐδῠ́μου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ δῐ́δῠμος ho dídumos	τὼ δῐδῠ́μω tṑ didúmō	οἱ δῐ́δῠμοι hoi dídumoi
Genitive	τοῦ δῐδῠ́μου toû didúmou	τοῖν δῐδῠ́μοιν toîn didúmoin	τῶν δῐδῠ́μων tôn didúmōn
Dative	τῷ δῐδῠ́μῳ tôi didúmōi	τοῖν δῐδῠ́μοιν toîn didúmoin	τοῖς δῐδῠ́μοις toîs didúmois
Accusative	τὸν δῐ́δῠμον tòn dídumon	τὼ δῐδῠ́μω tṑ didúmō	τοὺς δῐδῠ́μους toùs didúmous
Vocative	δῐ́δῠμε dídume	δῐδῠ́μω didúmō	δῐ́δῠμοι dídumoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• δῐδῠμαῖον (didumaîon)
• Δῐδῠμαῖος (Didumaîos)
• δῐδῠμᾰ́νωρ (didumánōr)
• δῐδῠμᾱ́ων (didumā́ōn)
• δῐδῠμεύω (didumeúō)
• δῐδῠ́μη (didúmē)
• δῐδῠ́μῐᾰ (didúmia)
• δῐδῠ́μῐος (didúmios)
• δῐδῠμογενής (didumogenḗs)
• δῐδῠμόγονος (didumógonos)
• δῐδῠμόζῠγος (didumózugos)
• δῐδῠμόθροος (didumóthroos)
• δῐδῠμόκτῠπος (didumóktupos)
• δῐδῠμόστροφος (didumóstrophos)
• δῐδῠμότης (didumótēs)
• δῐδῠμότοκος (didumótokos)
• δῐδῠμόχροος (didumókhroos)
• Δῐδῠμών (Didumṓn)
• ἐπῐδῐδῠμῐ́ς (epididumís)

 

Descendants

• → English: didymus
• Greek: δίδυμος (dídymos)

Further reading

• “δίδυμος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “δίδυμος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “δίδυμος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• δίδυμος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• δίδυμος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• δίδυμος 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

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δίδυμος (dídumos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈði.ði.mos]

Adjective

δίδυμος • (dídymos) m (feminine δίδυμη, neuter δίδυμο)

1. twin, twinned, being one of a pair of twins

   δίδυμα αδέλφια

   dídyma adélfia

   twin brothers

2. (figuratively) matching exactly

   δίδυμα πυροβόλα, δίδυμοι πύργοι

   dídyma pyrovóla, dídymoi pýrgoi

   twin cannon, twin towers

Declension

Declension of δίδυμος

number  case \ gender	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	δίδυμος •	δίδυμη •	δίδυμο •	δίδυμοι •	δίδυμες •	δίδυμα •
genitive	δίδυμου •	δίδυμης •	δίδυμου •	δίδυμων •	δίδυμων •	δίδυμων •
accusative	δίδυμο •	δίδυμη •	δίδυμο •	δίδυμους •	δίδυμες •	δίδυμα •
vocative	δίδυμε •	δίδυμη •	δίδυμο •	δίδυμοι •	δίδυμες •	δίδυμα •

Noun

δίδυμος • (dídymos) m or f (plural δίδυμοι)

1. twin (either of two people who shared the same uterus, or of two similar or closely related objects)

Declension

Declension of δίδυμος

	singular	plural
nominative	δίδυμος •	δίδυμοι •
genitive	διδύμου •	διδύμων •
accusative	δίδυμο •	διδύμους •
vocative	δίδυμε •	δίδυμοι •

Related terms

• Δίδυμοι (Dídymoi)
• δίδυμο (dídymo)
• δίδυμοι (dídymoi)
• δίδυμες (dídymes)

Descendants

• didymous