κέλευθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Probably from the same root as κέλομαι (kélomai) and κελεύω (keleúō, “to urge, command”); however, the -θ- is difficult to explain morphologically. If so, then cognate with Lithuanian kẽlias and Latvian ceļš (“road, way”) and with Albanian kaloj (“to pass, walk by”). Older theories attempted to connect the word to the root *ἐλεύθ- (*eleúth-) (for which see *ἐλεύθω (*eleúthō, “Ι come”) for more) in order to explain the -θ-; however, the initial κ- then becomes unexplained.^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ké.leu̯.tʰos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈke.lew.tʰos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈce.leɸ.θos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈce.lef.θos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈce.lef.θos/

Noun

κέλευθος • (kéleuthos) f (genitive κελεύθου); second declension; plural usually neuter κέλευθᾰ

(poetic) road, way, path

Inflection

Second declension of κέλευθος; κελεύθου (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	κέλευθος kéleuthos	κελεύθω keleúthō	κέλευθοι kéleuthoi
Genitive	κελεύθου / κελευθοῖο / κελεύθοιο / κελευθόο / κελεύθοο keleúthou / keleuthoîo / keleúthoio / keleuthóo / keleúthoo	κελεύθοιῐν keleúthoiin	κελεύθων keleúthōn
Dative	κελεύθῳ keleúthōi	κελεύθοιῐν keleúthoiin	κελεύθοισῐ / κελεύθοισῐν / κελεύθοις keleúthoisi(n) / keleúthois
Accusative	κέλευθον kéleuthon	κελεύθω keleúthō	κελεύθους keleúthous
Vocative	κέλευθε kéleuthe	κελεύθω keleúthō	κέλευθοι kéleuthoi
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Second declension of ἡ κέλευθος; τῆς κελεύθου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ κέλευθος hē kéleuthos	τὼ κελεύθω tṑ keleúthō	αἱ κέλευθοι hai kéleuthoi
Genitive	τῆς κελεύθου tês keleúthou	τοῖν κελεύθοιν toîn keleúthoin	τῶν κελεύθων tôn keleúthōn
Dative	τῇ κελεύθῳ têi keleúthōi	τοῖν κελεύθοιν toîn keleúthoin	ταῖς κελεύθοις taîs keleúthois
Accusative	τὴν κέλευθον tḕn kéleuthon	τὼ κελεύθω tṑ keleúthō	τᾱ̀ς κελεύθους tā̀s keleúthous
Vocative	κέλευθε kéleuthe	κελεύθω keleúthō	κέλευθοι kéleuthoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Neuter plural forms

Second declension of κέλευθᾰ; κελεύθων (Epic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	κέλευθᾰ kéleutha
Genitive	κελεύθων keleúthōn
Dative	κελεύθοισῐ / κελεύθοισῐν / κελεύθοις keleúthoisi(n) / keleúthois
Accusative	κέλευθᾰ kéleutha
Vocative	κέλευθᾰ kéleutha
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Second declension of τᾰ̀ κέλευθᾰ; τῶν κελεύθων (Attic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	τᾰ̀ κέλευθᾰ tà kéleutha
Genitive	τῶν κελεύθων tôn keleúthōn
Dative	τοῖς κελεύθοις toîs keleúthois
Accusative	τᾰ̀ κέλευθᾰ tà kéleutha
Vocative	κέλευθᾰ kéleutha
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἱπποκέλευθος (hippokéleuthos)

Related terms

ἀκόλουθος (akólouthos)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “κέλευθος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 668-9