ψίθυρος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ψεδυρός (psedurós), ψίθυρ (psíthur)

Etymology

If it dissimilated from *ψυθυρ-, it may belong to ψύθος (psúthos, “lie, untruth”). On the other hand, it can be compared to ψίζομαι (psízomai, “to weep”). Pisani considered a relationship with Sanskrit क्ष्वेडति (kṣveḍati, “to hum, murmur”). Given the variants, the word is probably Pre-Greek.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /psí.tʰy.ros/ → /ˈpsi.θy.ros/ → /ˈpsi.θi.ros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /psí.tʰy.ros/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpsi.tʰy.ros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpsi.θy.ros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpsi.θy.ros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpsi.θi.ros/

Adjective

ψῐ́θῠρος • (psĭ́thŭros) m or f (neuter ψῐ́θῠρον); second declension

1. whispering, slanderous
2. twittering, chirping

Inflection

Second declension of ψῐ́θῠρος; ψῐ́θῠρον (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ψῐ́θῠρος psĭ́thŭros	ψῐ́θῠρον psĭ́thŭron		ψῐθῠ́ρω psĭthŭ́rō	ψῐθῠ́ρω psĭthŭ́rō		ψῐ́θῠροι psĭ́thŭroi	ψῐ́θῠρᾰ psĭ́thŭră
Genitive		ψῐθῠ́ρου psĭthŭ́rou	ψῐθῠ́ρου psĭthŭ́rou		ψῐθῠ́ροιν psĭthŭ́roin	ψῐθῠ́ροιν psĭthŭ́roin		ψῐθῠ́ρων psĭthŭ́rōn	ψῐθῠ́ρων psĭthŭ́rōn
Dative		ψῐθῠ́ρῳ psĭthŭ́rōi	ψῐθῠ́ρῳ psĭthŭ́rōi		ψῐθῠ́ροιν psĭthŭ́roin	ψῐθῠ́ροιν psĭthŭ́roin		ψῐθῠ́ροις psĭthŭ́rois	ψῐθῠ́ροις psĭthŭ́rois
Accusative		ψῐ́θῠρον psĭ́thŭron	ψῐ́θῠρον psĭ́thŭron		ψῐθῠ́ρω psĭthŭ́rō	ψῐθῠ́ρω psĭthŭ́rō		ψῐθῠ́ρους psĭthŭ́rous	ψῐ́θῠρᾰ psĭ́thŭră
Vocative		ψῐ́θῠρε psĭ́thŭre	ψῐ́θῠρον psĭ́thŭron		ψῐθῠ́ρω psĭthŭ́rō	ψῐθῠ́ρω psĭthŭ́rō		ψῐ́θῠροι psĭ́thŭroi	ψῐ́θῠρᾰ psĭ́thŭră
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		ψῐθῠ́ρως psĭthŭ́rōs			—			—
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ψίθυρα (psíthura)
• ψιθυρίζω (psithurízō)
• ψιθυρίς (psithurís)
• ψιθύρισμα (psithúrisma)
• ψιθυρισμός (psithurismós)
• ψιθυριστής (psithuristḗs)
• ψιθυριστικός (psithuristikós)

Descendants

• Greek: ψίθυρος (psíthyros)
• → Translingual: Psithyrus

Further reading

• “ψίθυρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ψίθυρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ψίθυρος 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

Greek

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpsi.θi.ɾos/
• Hyphenation: ψί‧θυ‧ρος

Noun

ψίθυρος • (psíthyros) m (plural ψίθυροι)

1. (onomatopoeia) whisper (speaking quietly)

Declension

Declension of ψίθυρος

	singular	plural
nominative	ψίθυρος (psíthyros)	ψίθυροι (psíthyroi)
genitive	ψίθυρου (psíthyrou) ψιθύρου (psithýrou)	ψίθυρων (psíthyron) ψιθύρων (psithýron)
accusative	ψίθυρο (psíthyro)	ψίθυρους (psíthyrous) ψιθύρους (psithýrous)
vocative	ψίθυρε (psíthyre)	ψίθυροι (psíthyroi)

Second forms are formal. 

Related terms

• σιγοψιθυρίζω (sigopsithyrízo)
• ψιθυρίζεται (psithyrízetai, “it is rumoured”, impersonal)
• ψιθυρίζω (psithyrízo, “whisper”)
• ψιθύρισμα n (psithýrisma)
• ψιθυρισμός m (psithyrismós)
• ψιθυριστά (psithyristá, “in a whisper”, adverb)
• ψιθυριστής m (psithyristís)
• ψιθυριστός (psithyristós, “whispered, hushed”, adjective)