θῆλυς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-lu-s, from *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suck”). One especially close cognate is Sanskrit धारु (dhārú, “suckling”); others include Latin fēmina, fētus, fīlius, Sanskrit धयति (dhayati), Avestan 𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬥𐬎 (daēnu), Old Armenian դիեմ (diem), Old Church Slavonic доити (doiti). See also θηλή (thēlḗ, “breast, nipple”).^[1]

The "abundant" sense may be related to θάλλω (thállō, “to flourish”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /tʰɛ̂ː.lys/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈtʰe̝.lys/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈθi.lys/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈθi.lys/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈθi.lis/

Adjective

θῆλῠς • (thêlus) m (feminine θήλειᾰ, neuter θῆλῠ); first/third declension

female
θήλεια θεός/θεᾱ́ ― thḗleia theós/theā́ ― goddess (literally, “female god”)
- 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 3.66.2:
  Καμβύσεα τὸν Κύρου, […] ἄπαιδα τὸ παράπαν ἐόντα ἔρσενος καὶ θήλεος γόνου
  Kambúsea tòn Kúrou, […] ápaida tò parápan eónta érsenos kaì thḗleos gónou
  […] Cambyses son of Cyrus, who […] was altogether childless, without male or female issue.
of or belonging to women, womanly, feminine
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 6.122:
  ὥς τέ με κουράων ἀμφήλυθε θῆλυς ἀϋτή
  hṓs té me kouráōn amphḗluthe thêlus aütḗ
  There rang in my ears a womanly cry, as of maidens.
soft, gentle
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.467:
  μή μ’ ἄμυδις στίβη τε κακὴ καὶ θῆλυς ἐέρση
  mḗ m’ ámudis stíbē te kakḕ kaì thêlus eérsē
  I fear that together the bitter frost and the gentle dew may overcome me.
tender, delicate
- 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 928:
  γυνὴ δὲ θῆλυ κἀπὶ δακρύοις ἔφυ
  gunḕ dè thêlu kapì dakrúois éphu
  But a woman is by nature delicate and prone to tears.
female (having an internal socket, into which another part fits)
- ante 177 CE, Pollux, Onomasticon 2.180
- 93 CE – 94 CE, Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 3.6.3
(grammar) feminine
- 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds 682
- 384 BCE – 322 BCE, Aristotle, Poetics 1458a.10
(mathematics) even
- 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Moralia 264a
- 46 CE – 120 CE, Plutarch, Moralia 288d
(astrology) negative or feminine sign (one of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, or Pisces)
abundant

Inflection

First and third declension of θῆλῠς; θήλειᾰ; θῆλῠ (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	θῆλῠς thêlus	θήλειᾰ thḗleia	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεις thḗleis	θήλειαι thḗleiai	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Genitive	θήλεος thḗleos	θηλείᾱς thēleíās	θήλεος thḗleos	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θηλείαιν thēleíain	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θηλέων thēléōn	θηλειῶν thēleiôn	θηλέων thēléōn
Dative	θήλει thḗlei	θηλείᾳ thēleíāi	θήλει thḗlei	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θηλείαιν thēleíain	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θήλεσῐ / θήλεσῐν thḗlesi(n)	θηλείαις thēleíais	θήλεσῐ / θήλεσῐν thḗlesi(n)
Accusative	θῆλῠν thêlun	θήλειᾰν thḗleian	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεις thḗleis	θηλείᾱς thēleíās	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Vocative	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλειᾰ thḗleia	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεις thḗleis	θήλειαι thḗleiai	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	θηλέως thēléōs			θηλῠ́τερος thēlúteros			θηλῠ́τᾰτος thēlútatos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of θῆλῠς; θήλειᾰ; θῆλῠ (Ionic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	θῆλῠς thêlus	θήλειᾰ thḗleia	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεις thḗleis	θήλειαι thḗleiai	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Genitive	θήλεος thḗleos	θηλείης thēleíēs	θήλεος thḗleos	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θηλείαιν thēleíain	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θηλέων thēléōn	θηλειέων / θηλειῶν thēleiéōn / thēleiôn	θηλέων thēléōn
Dative	θήλει thḗlei	θηλείῃ thēleíēi	θήλει thḗlei	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θηλείαιν thēleíain	θηλέοιν thēléoin	θήλεσῐ / θήλεσῐν thḗlesi(n)	θηλείῃσῐ / θηλείῃσῐν thēleíēisi(n)	θήλεσῐ / θήλεσῐν thḗlesi(n)
Accusative	θῆλῠν thêlun	θήλειᾰν thḗleian	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεις thḗleis	θηλείᾱς thēleíās	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Vocative	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλειᾰ thḗleia	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεις thḗleis	θήλειαι thḗleiai	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	θηλέως thēléōs			θηλῠ́τερος thēlúteros			θηλῠ́τᾰτος thēlútatos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First and third declension of θῆλῠς; θήλειᾰ; θῆλῠ (Epic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	θῆλῠς thêlus	θήλειᾰ thḗleia	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεες thḗlees	θήλειαι thḗleiai	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Genitive	θήλεος thḗleos	θηλείης thēleíēs	θήλεος thḗleos	θηλέοιῐν thēléoiin	θηλείαιν / θηλείαιῐν / θηλείῃῐν thēleíai(i)n / thēleíēiin	θηλέοιῐν thēléoiin	θηλέων thēléōn	θηλειᾱ́ων / θηλειέ͜ων / θηλειῶν thēleiā́ōn / thēleié͜ōn / thēleiôn	θηλέων thēléōn
Dative	θήλει thḗlei	θηλείῃ thēleíēi	θήλει thḗlei	θηλέοιῐν thēléoiin	θηλείαιν / θηλείαιῐν / θηλείῃῐν thēleíai(i)n / thēleíēiin	θηλέοιῐν thēléoiin	θηλέεσσῐ / θηλέεσσῐν / θηλέεσῐ / θηλέεσῐν / θήλεσῐ / θήλεσῐν thēléessi(n) / thēléesi(n) / thḗlesi(n)	θηλείῃσῐ / θηλείῃσῐν / θηλείῃς / θηλείαις thēleíēisi(n) / thēleíēis / thēleíais	θηλέεσσῐ / θηλέεσσῐν / θηλέεσῐ / θηλέεσῐν / θήλεσῐ / θήλεσῐν thēléessi(n) / thēléesi(n) / thḗlesi(n)
Accusative	θῆλῠν thêlun	θήλειᾰν thḗleian	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεᾰς thḗleas	θηλείᾱς thēleíās	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Vocative	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλειᾰ thḗleia	θῆλῠ thêlu	θήλεε thḗlee	θηλείᾱ thēleíā	θήλεε thḗlee	θήλεες thḗlees	θήλειαι thḗleiai	θήλη / θήλεᾰ thḗlē / thḗlea
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	θηλέως thēléōs			θηλῠ́τερος thēlúteros			θηλῠ́τᾰτος thēlútatos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

This is one of the two non-compounded adjectives in -ύς, -εῖα, -ύ, along with ἥμισυς (hḗmisus), that have a recessive accent. See also ἐλαχύς (elakhús), λιγύς (ligús).

Antonyms

ἄρσην (ársēn)

Derived terms

ἄθηλυς (áthēlus)
ἀνδρόθηλυς (andróthēlus)
ἀρσενόθηλυς (arsenóthēlus)
ἡμίθηλυς (hēmíthēlus)
θηλυγενής (thēlugenḗs)
θηλύγλωσσος (thēlúglōssos)
θηλυγονέω (thēlugonéō)
θηλυγονία (thēlugonía)
θηλυγόνος (thēlugónos)
θηλυδρίας (thēludrías)
θηλυδριώδης (thēludriṓdēs)
θηλυδριῶτις (thēludriôtis)
θηλυκός (thēlukós)
θηλυκράνεια (thēlukráneia)
θηλυκρατής (thēlukratḗs)
θηλυκτόνος (thēluktónos)
θηλυκώδης (thēlukṓdēs)
θηλύλαλος (thēlúlalos)
θηλυμανέω (thēlumanéō)
θηλυμανής (thēlumanḗs)
θηλυμελής (thēlumelḗs)
θηλυμίτρης (thēlumítrēs)
θηλύμορφος (thēlúmorphos)
θηλύνοος (thēlúnoos)
θηλύνω (thēlúnō)
θηλύπαθεω (thēlúpatheō)
θηλύπαις (thēlúpais)
θηλυποιός (thēlupoiós)
θηλύπους (thēlúpous)
θηλυπρεπής (thēluprepḗs)
θηλύπρινος (thēlúprinos)
θηλυπρόσωπος (thēluprósōpos)
θηλυπτερίς (thēlupterís)
θηλύσπορος (thēlúsporos)
θηλυστολέω (thēlustoléō)
θηλυστολία (thēlustolía)
θηλύστολος (thēlústolos)
θηλύτεκνος (thēlúteknos)
θηλύτης (thēlútēs)
θηλυτοκέω (thēlutokéō)
θηλυτοκία (thēlutokía)
θηλύτοκος (thēlútokos)
θηλύτροπος (thēlútropos)
θηλυφανής (thēluphanḗs)
θηλυφθόριον (thēluphthórion)
θηλυφόνον (thēluphónon)
θηλυφόνος (thēluphónos)
θηλύφρων (thēlúphrōn)
θηλύφωνος (thēlúphōnos)
θηλύχειρ (thēlúkheir)
θηλυχίτων (thēlukhítōn)
θηλυχοίρα (thēlukhoíra)
θηλύψυχος (thēlúpsukhos)
μιξόθηλυς (mixóthēlus)
Πάνθηλυς (Pánthēlus)
ὑπόθηλυς (hupóthēlus)
φιλόθηλυς (philóthēlus)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “θῆλυς”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 546-7