λιμήν

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Ablaut derivation from Proto-Indo-European *léymō; compare λίμνη (límnē). See λειμών (leimṓn) for a descendant in a different ablaut grade.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /li.mɛ̌ːn/ → /liˈmin/ → /liˈmin/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /li.mɛ̌ːn/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /liˈme̝n/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /liˈmin/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /liˈmin/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /liˈmin/

Noun

λῐμήν • (limḗn) m (genitive λῐμένος); third declension

1. harbor
   • 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 25a:

     τάδε μὲν γάρ […] φαίνεται λιμὴν στενόν τινα ἔχων εἴσπλουν

     táde mèn gár […] phaínetai limḕn stenón tina ékhōn eísploun

     For this is apparently a harbor having a narrow entrance.

2. (figuratively) a haven, retreat, refuge
   • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 683:

     τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ βροτῶν ἄπιστός ἐσθ’ ἑταιρείας λιμήν.

     toîs polloîsi gàr brotôn ápistós esth’ hetaireías limḗn.

     For the masses of mortals regard the haven of friendship as treacherous.

Declension

Third declension of ὁ λῐμήν; τοῦ λῐμένος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ λῐμήν ho limḗn	τὼ λῐμένε tṑ liméne	οἱ λῐμένες hoi liménes
Genitive	τοῦ λῐμένος toû liménos	τοῖν λῐμένοιν toîn liménoin	τῶν λῐμένων tôn liménōn
Dative	τῷ λῐμένῐ tôi liméni	τοῖν λῐμένοιν toîn liménoin	τοῖς λῐμέσῐ / λῐμέσῐν toîs limési(n)
Accusative	τὸν λῐμένᾰ tòn liména	τὼ λῐμένε tṑ liméne	τοὺς λῐμένᾰς toùs liménas
Vocative	λῐμήν limḗn	λῐμένε liméne	λῐμένες liménes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• λιμένιος (liménios)
• λῐμενοφῠ́λᾰξ (limenophúlax)
• λῐμενᾰ́ρχης (limenárkhēs)
• λῐμένῐον (liménion)

 

Descendants

• ⇒ Greek: λιμένας (liménas)
• → Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܠܡܹܐܢܵܐ (lmēnā)
• → Hebrew: נָמֵל (namél) (with metathesis)

Further reading

• “λιμήν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press