μήρινθος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• σμήρινθος (smḗrinthos)

Etymology

The suffix is similar to ἐρέβινθος (erébinthos), ὑάκινθος (huákinthos) and λαβύρινθος (labúrinthos), so it is probably a Pre-Greek word. Adaptation to μηρύομαι (mērúomai, “to draw up, to furl”) has also been assumed, however there is little reason for this. Maybe related to μῆριγξ (mêrinx, “bristle”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mɛ̌ː.rin.tʰos/ → /ˈmi.rin.θos/ → /ˈmi.rin.θos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mɛ̌ː.rin.tʰos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈme̝.rin.tʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.rin.θos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.rin.θos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.rin.θos/

Noun

μήρινθος • (mḗrinthos) f (genitive μηρίνθου); second declension

1. cord, line, string
2. fishing line

Inflection

Second declension of ἡ μήρινθος; τῆς μηρίνθου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ μήρινθος hē mḗrinthos	τὼ μηρίνθω tṑ mērínthō	αἱ μήρινθοι hai mḗrinthoi
Genitive	τῆς μηρίνθου tês mērínthou	τοῖν μηρίνθοιν toîn mērínthoin	τῶν μηρίνθων tôn mērínthōn
Dative	τῇ μηρίνθῳ têi mērínthōi	τοῖν μηρίνθοιν toîn mērínthoin	ταῖς μηρίνθοις taîs mērínthois
Accusative	τὴν μήρινθον tḕn mḗrinthon	τὼ μηρίνθω tṑ mērínthō	τᾱ̀ς μηρίνθους tā̀s mērínthous
Vocative	μήρινθε mḗrinthe	μηρίνθω mērínthō	μήρινθοι mḗrinthoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: μήρινθος (mírinthos)

Further reading

• “μήρινθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• μήρινθος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• 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