Τίγρης

See also: τίγρης

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Τῐ́γρῐς (Tĭ́grĭs)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Persian 𐎫𐎡𐎥𐎼𐎠 (t-i-g-r-a /⁠Tigrā⁠/), from Akkadian 𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 (^ÍDIdiqlat) from Sumerian 𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 (^ÍDIdigna, ^ÍDIdigina, literally “fast as an arrow”), because Tigris is rough and fast flowing compared to the neighboring Euphrates. Compare with Classical Syriac ܕܩܠܬ (deqlāṯ), Old Armenian Դգլաթ (Dglatʻ), Arabic دِجْلَة (dijla), Hebrew חידקל / חִדֶּקֶל (ḥiddéqel)), all borrowed from Akkadian 𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 (^ÍDIdiqlat).

Compare Middle Persian [script needed] (Arvand, “Tigris”, literally “swift”) (compare Avestan -𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬥𐬙 (-a^uruuant)).^[1] Compare also Achaemenid Elamite 𒋾𒅅𒊏 (ti-ig-ra).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /tí.ɡrɛːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈti.ɡre̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈti.ɣris/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈti.ɣris/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈti.ɣris/

Proper noun

Τῐ́γρης • (Tĭ́grēs) m (genitive Τῐ́γρητος); third declension

the river Tigris
Synonym: Σόλλᾰξ (Sóllăx)

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ Τῐ́γρης; τοῦ Τῐ́γρητος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Τῐ́γρης ho Tĭ́grēs
Genitive	τοῦ Τῐ́γρητος toû Tĭ́grētos
Dative	τῷ Τῐ́γρητῐ tōî Tĭ́grētĭ
Accusative	τὸν Τῐ́γρητᾰ tòn Tĭ́grētă
Vocative	Τῐ́γρης Tĭ́grēs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension. Nominative singular -ς (-s) arose by reduction of the original cluster *-ts.

Descendants

Greek: Τίγρης (Tígris), Τίγρητας (Tígritas)
→ Armenian: Տիգրիս (Tigris)
→ Latin: Tigris (see there for further descendants)

References

Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,028

^ Jahanshah Derakhshani, “Some Earliest Traces of the Aryan: Evidence from the 4th and 3rd Millennium B.C.”, Iran and the Caucasus, vol. 5 (Leiden: Brill, 2001), 11.

[1] Jahanshah Derakhshani, “Some Earliest Traces of the Aryan: Evidence from the 4th and 3rd Millennium B.C.”, Iran and the Caucasus, vol. 5 (Leiden: Brill, 2001), 11.

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