πρωταγωνιστής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From πρῶτος (prôtos) +‎ ᾰ̓γωνῐστής (ăgōnĭstḗs).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /prɔː.ta.ɡɔː.nis.tɛ̌ːs/ → /pro.ta.ɣo.nisˈtis/ → /pro.ta.ɣo.nisˈtis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /prɔː.ta.ɡɔː.nis.tɛ̌ːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /pro.ta.ɡo.nisˈte̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /pro.ta.ɣo.nisˈtis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /pro.ta.ɣo.nisˈtis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /pro.ta.ɣo.nisˈtis/

Noun

πρωτᾰγωνῐστής • (prōtăgōnĭstḗs) m (genitive πρωτᾰγωνῐστοῦ); first declension

1. (theater) lead actor (actor who plays the main role)

Inflection

First declension of ὁ πρωτᾰγωνῐστής; τοῦ πρωτᾰγωνῐστοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ πρωτᾰγωνῐστής ho prōtăgōnĭstḗs	τὼ πρωτᾰγωνῐστᾱ́ tṑ prōtăgōnĭstā́	οἱ πρωτᾰγωνῐσταί hoi prōtăgōnĭstaí
Genitive	τοῦ πρωτᾰγωνῐστοῦ toû prōtăgōnĭstoû	τοῖν πρωτᾰγωνῐσταῖν toîn prōtăgōnĭstaîn	τῶν πρωτᾰγωνῐστῶν tôn prōtăgōnĭstôn
Dative	τῷ πρωτᾰγωνῐστῇ tôi prōtăgōnĭstêi	τοῖν πρωτᾰγωνῐσταῖν toîn prōtăgōnĭstaîn	τοῖς πρωτᾰγωνῐσταῖς toîs prōtăgōnĭstaîs
Accusative	τὸν πρωτᾰγωνῐστήν tòn prōtăgōnĭstḗn	τὼ πρωτᾰγωνῐστᾱ́ tṑ prōtăgōnĭstā́	τοὺς πρωτᾰγωνῐστᾱ́ς toùs prōtăgōnĭstā́s
Vocative	πρωτᾰγωνῐστᾰ́ prōtăgōnĭstắ	πρωτᾰγωνῐστᾱ́ prōtăgōnĭstā́	πρωτᾰγωνῐσταί prōtăgōnĭstaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → French: protagoniste (learned)
• Greek: πρωταγωνιστής (protagonistís)

See also

• ᾰ̓γωνῐστής (ăgōnĭstḗs)
• ᾰ̓ντᾰγωνῐστής (ăntăgōnĭstḗs)

Further reading

• “πρωταγωνιστής”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “πρωταγωνιστής”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• πρωταγωνιστής in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής (prōtagōnistḗs), equivalent to πρωτ- (prot-, “first”) +‎ αγωνιστής (agonistís, “fighter, athlete”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾo.ta.ɣoniˈstis/
• Rhymes: -is
• Hyphenation: πρω‧τα‧γω‧νι‧στής

Noun

πρωταγωνιστής • (protagonistís) m (plural πρωταγωνιστές, feminine πρωταγωνίστρια)

1. (drama) protagonist

Declension

Declension of πρωταγωνιστής

	singular	plural
nominative	πρωταγωνιστής (protagonistís)	πρωταγωνιστές (protagonistés)
genitive	πρωταγωνιστή (protagonistí)	πρωταγωνιστών (protagonistón)
accusative	πρωταγωνιστή (protagonistí)	πρωταγωνιστές (protagonistés)
vocative	πρωταγωνιστή (protagonistí)	πρωταγωνιστές (protagonistés)

Derived terms

• πρωταγωνιστικός (protagonistikós)

Related terms

• ανταγωνιστής m (antagonistís, “antagonist”)
• δευτεραγωνιστής m (defteragonistís, “supporting actor”)
• τριταγωνιστής m (tritagonistís, “minor role actor”)
• συμπρωταγωνιστής m (symprotagonistís), συμπρωταγωνίστρια f (“co-star, co-protagonist”)
• and see: αγώνας m (agónas) and struggle, match