γεράνιον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From γέρανος (géranos, “crane”) +‎ -ιον (-ion, diminutive suffix). The reference to cranes in the plant names is due to the elongated fruits of these plants, which have a characteristic shape reminiscent of the elongated bill of a bird such as a crane (see picture). Compare English storksbill, Dutch reigersbek, ooievaarsbek.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡe.rá.ni.on/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɡeˈra.ni.on/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ʝeˈra.ni.on/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ʝeˈra.ni.on/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ʝeˈra.ni.on/

Noun

γερᾰ́νῐον • (gerắnĭon) n (genitive γερᾰνῐ́ου); second declension

cranesbill (Geranium tuberosum)
storksbill (Erodium malacoides)
kind of whitening substance used in alchemy

Inflection

Second declension of τὸ γερᾰ́νῐον; τοῦ γερᾰνῐ́ου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ γερᾰ́νῐον tò gerắnĭon	τὼ γερᾰνῐ́ω tṑ gerănĭ́ō	τᾰ̀ γερᾰ́νῐᾰ tằ gerắnĭă
Genitive	τοῦ γερᾰνῐ́ου toû gerănĭ́ou	τοῖν γερᾰνῐ́οιν toîn gerănĭ́oin	τῶν γερᾰνῐ́ων tôn gerănĭ́ōn
Dative	τῷ γερᾰνῐ́ῳ tōî gerănĭ́ōi	τοῖν γερᾰνῐ́οιν toîn gerănĭ́oin	τοῖς γερᾰνῐ́οις toîs gerănĭ́ois
Accusative	τὸ γερᾰ́νῐον tò gerắnĭon	τὼ γερᾰνῐ́ω tṑ gerănĭ́ō	τᾰ̀ γερᾰ́νῐᾰ tằ gerắnĭă
Vocative	γερᾰ́νῐον gerắnĭon	γερᾰνῐ́ω gerănĭ́ō	γερᾰ́νῐᾰ gerắnĭă
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

→ Translingual: Geranium