κάνθαρος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain.

  • The origin of the beetle-name is unclear, but it may be an r-stem-suffixation to κάνθων (kánthōn, “pack-ass”) as suggested by Strömberg,[1] since the scarab is recognized for and likened by his transporting packs of dung. Compare for the formation χίμαρος (khímaros, “he-goat”). A possible cognate is Latin canthērius (“pack-ass”), for which Greek more commonly uses κανθήλιος (kanthḗlios, “pack-ass”). It may well be a Semitism in view of the origin of both animals, if there is an etymological connection to Arabic قَنْطَرَة (qanṭara, “bridge”). Beekes is very sceptical of this etymology.
  • For the vessel-name, Szémerenyi suggests a connection to Akkadian 𒃶𒁺𒊒𒌑 (kanduru, “kind of vessel”), pointing to "loanword from the Near East".[2] The exact pathway of derivation is unclear, perhaps from Akkadian 𒃶𒌈 (kandum). Otherwise explained from Sumerian 𒄑𒃶𒉡𒌉 (gannu-tur, “small vessel”).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

κάνθᾰρος • (kánthăros) m (genitive κανθᾰ́ρου); second declension

  1. dung beetle (Canthon pilularius syn. Scarabaeus pilularius)
    Synonym: βύλαρος (búlaros)
  2. sort of drinking-cup with large handles
  3. kind of boat typical of Naxos
  4. black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus)
  5. woman's ornament, probably a gem in scarab form

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ κάνθᾰρος; τοῦ κανθᾰ́ρου (Attic)
Case / # Singular Dual Plural
Nominative ὁ κάνθᾰρος
ho kánthăros 		τὼ κανθᾰ́ρω
tṑ kanthắrō 		οἱ κάνθᾰροι
hoi kánthăroi
Genitive τοῦ κανθᾰ́ρου
toû kanthắrou 		τοῖν κανθᾰ́ροιν
toîn kanthắroin 		τῶν κανθᾰ́ρων
tôn kanthắrōn
Dative τῷ κανθᾰ́ρῳ
tōî kanthắrōi 		τοῖν κανθᾰ́ροιν
toîn kanthắroin 		τοῖς κανθᾰ́ροις
toîs kanthắrois
Accusative τὸν κάνθᾰρον
tòn kánthăron 		τὼ κανθᾰ́ρω
tṑ kanthắrō 		τοὺς κανθᾰ́ρους
toùs kanthắrous
Vocative κάνθᾰρε
kánthăre 		κανθᾰ́ρω
kanthắrō 		κάνθᾰροι
kánthăroi
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

  • ἡλιοκάνθαρος (hēliokántharos)
  • ἱπποκάνθαρος (hippokántharos)
  • κανθάρεως (kantháreōs)
  • κανθάριον (kanthárion)
  • κανθαρίς (kantharís)
  • κανθαρίτης (kantharítēs)
  • κανθαροειδής (kantharoeidḗs)
  • κανθαροποιός (kantharopoiós)
  • κανθαρώδης (kantharṓdēs)
  • κανθαρώλεθρος (kantharṓlethros)
  • κυκνοκάνθαρος (kuknokántharos)
  • χρυσοκάνθαρος (khrusokántharos)

Descendants

  • Ancient Greek: σκάνθαρος (skántharos)
    • ⇒ Byzantine Greek: *σκανθάριον (*skanthárion)
  • → Latin: cantharus, cantarus

References

  1. ^ Strömberg, Reinhold (1944) Griechische Wortstudien: Untersuchungen zur Benennung von Tieren, Pflanzen, Körperteilen und Krankheiten (in German), Göteborg
  2. ^ Szemerényi, Oswald (1974) “The origins of the Greek lexicon: Ex Oriente Lux”, in The Journal of Hellenic Studies‎[1], volume 94, →DOI, page 148

Further reading

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