λιμήν

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Ablaut derivation from Proto-Indo-European *léymō (“lake”); compare λίμνη (límnē). See λειμών (leimṓn) for a descendant in a different ablaut grade.[1]

Pronunciation

 

Noun

λῐμήν • (lĭmḗn) m (genitive λῐμένος); third declension

  1. harbor
    • 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 25a:
      τάδε μὲν γάρ […] φαίνεται λιμὴν στενόν τινα ἔχων εἴσπλουν
      táde mèn gár […] phaínetai limḕn stenón tina ékhōn eísploun
      For this is apparently a harbor having a narrow entrance.
  2. (figuratively) a haven, retreat, refuge
    • 497 BCE – 405 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 683:
      τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ βροτῶν ἄπιστός ἐσθ’ ἑταιρείας λιμήν.
      toîs polloîsi gàr brotôn ápistós esth’ hetaireías limḗn.
      For the masses of mortals regard the haven of friendship as treacherous.

Declension

Third declension of ὁ λῐμήν; τοῦ λῐμένος (Attic)
Case / # Singular Dual Plural
Nominative ὁ λῐμήν
ho lĭmḗn 		τὼ λῐμένε
tṑ lĭméne 		οἱ λῐμένες
hoi lĭménes
Genitive τοῦ λῐμένος
toû lĭménos 		τοῖν λῐμένοιν
toîn lĭménoin 		τῶν λῐμένων
tôn lĭménōn
Dative τῷ λῐμένῐ
tōî lĭménĭ 		τοῖν λῐμένοιν
toîn lĭménoin 		τοῖς λῐμέσῐ / λῐμέσῐν
toîs lĭmésĭ(n)
Accusative τὸν λῐμένᾰ
tòn lĭménă 		τὼ λῐμένε
tṑ lĭméne 		τοὺς λῐμένᾰς
toùs lĭménăs
Vocative λῐμήν
lĭmḗn 		λῐμένε
lĭméne 		λῐμένες
lĭménes
Notes:
  • This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • ⇒ Greek: λιμένας (liménas)
  • → Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܠܡܹܐܢܵܐ (lmēnā)
  • → Hebrew: נָמֵל (namél) (with metathesis)
  • ⇒ Translingual: Limenitis

References

  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “λιμήν”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 843

Further reading

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