ἐσθλός

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἐσλός (eslós) — Doric
• ἔσλος (éslos) — Aeolic
• ἑσλός (heslós) — Arcadocypriot

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be, exist”), and thus cognate with εἰμί (eimí, “to be”), οὐσία (ousía, “essence”), ἐτεός (eteós, “true”); yet another possibility is perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₁su-, zero-grade form of *h₁esu- (“good”), from which ἐΰς (eǘs, “good”) and adverbial εὖ (eû, “well”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /es.tʰlós/ → /esˈθlos/ → /esˈθlos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /es.tʰlós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /esˈtʰlos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /esˈθlos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /esˈθlos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /esˈθlos/

Adjective

ἐσθλός • (esthlós) m (feminine ἐσθλή, neuter ἐσθλόν); first/second declension

1. (poetic) good
   1. (of a person)
      1. good at fighting, soldierly, warlike, brave
      2. worthy, serviceable, skilled
      3. morally good, faithful, showing good judgement
   2. (of things or abstractions) good, excellent, fine, helpful, useful

Inflection

First and second declension of ἐσθλός; ἐσθλή; ἐσθλόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἐσθλός esthlós	ἐσθλή esthlḗ	ἐσθλόν esthlón		ἐσθλώ esthlṓ	ἐσθλᾱ́ esthlā́	ἐσθλώ esthlṓ		ἐσθλοί esthloí	ἐσθλαί esthlaí	ἐσθλᾰ́ esthlá
Genitive		ἐσθλοῦ esthloû	ἐσθλῆς esthlês	ἐσθλοῦ esthloû		ἐσθλοῖν esthloîn	ἐσθλαῖν esthlaîn	ἐσθλοῖν esthloîn		ἐσθλῶν esthlôn	ἐσθλῶν esthlôn	ἐσθλῶν esthlôn
Dative		ἐσθλῷ esthlôi	ἐσθλῇ esthlêi	ἐσθλῷ esthlôi		ἐσθλοῖν esthloîn	ἐσθλαῖν esthlaîn	ἐσθλοῖν esthloîn		ἐσθλοῖς esthloîs	ἐσθλαῖς esthlaîs	ἐσθλοῖς esthloîs
Accusative		ἐσθλόν esthlón	ἐσθλήν esthlḗn	ἐσθλόν esthlón		ἐσθλώ esthlṓ	ἐσθλᾱ́ esthlā́	ἐσθλώ esthlṓ		ἐσθλούς esthloús	ἐσθλᾱ́ς esthlā́s	ἐσθλᾰ́ esthlá
Vocative		ἐσθλέ esthlé	ἐσθλή esthlḗ	ἐσθλόν esthlón		ἐσθλώ esthlṓ	ἐσθλᾱ́ esthlā́	ἐσθλώ esthlṓ		ἐσθλοί esthloí	ἐσθλαί esthlaí	ἐσθλᾰ́ esthlá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ἐσθλῶς esthlôs				ἐσθλότερος esthlóteros				ἐσθλότᾰτος esthlótatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• (good): ἀγαθός (agathós)

Further reading

• “ἐσθλός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἐσθλός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἐσθλός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἐσθλός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • gallant idem, page 352.
  • geatleman idem, page 355.
  • gentle idem, page 357.
  • good idem, page 366.
  • hero idem, page 397.
  • high-born idem, page 400.
  • honest idem, page 404.
  • honourable idem, page 405.
  • noble idem, page 559.
  • patrician idem, page 599.
  • well-born idem, page 974.
• Hoffmann, J.B. Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Griechischen. Verlag von E. Oldenbourg. München 1950.