σαρδάνιος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

σαρδόνιος (sardónios)

Etymology

Uncertain, but since antiquity it is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (Ranunculus sardous), known as either σαρδάνη (sardánē) or σαρδόνιον (sardónion). When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death).

It has also been compared with σέσηρα (sésēra, “to show teeth”) and σαίρω (saírō, “to grin”).

Alternatively, Kretschmer tried to connect this word to the name of the Šardana people living near Egypt, although the details remain unclear.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sar.dá.ni.os/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /sarˈda.ni.os/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/

Adjective

σαρδάνῐος • (sardánĭos) m (feminine σαρδᾰνίᾱ, neuter σαρδάνῐον); first/second declension

(of laughter or smiles) scornful, bitter, grim

Inflection

First and second declension of σαρδάνῐος; σαρδανῐ́ᾱ; σαρδάνῐον (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	σαρδάνῐος sardánĭos	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardanĭ́ā	σαρδάνῐον sardánĭon	σαρδανῐ́ω sardanĭ́ō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardanĭ́ā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardanĭ́ō	σαρδάνῐοι sardánĭoi	σαρδάνῐαι sardánĭai	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánĭă
Genitive	σαρδανῐ́ου sardanĭ́ou	σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardanĭ́ās	σαρδανῐ́ου sardanĭ́ou	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardanĭ́oin	σαρδανῐ́αιν sardanĭ́ain	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardanĭ́oin	σαρδανῐ́ων sardanĭ́ōn	σαρδανῐ́ων sardanĭ́ōn	σαρδανῐ́ων sardanĭ́ōn
Dative	σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardanĭ́ōi	σαρδανῐ́ᾳ sardanĭ́āi	σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardanĭ́ōi	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardanĭ́oin	σαρδανῐ́αιν sardanĭ́ain	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardanĭ́oin	σαρδανῐ́οις sardanĭ́ois	σαρδανῐ́αις sardanĭ́ais	σαρδανῐ́οις sardanĭ́ois
Accusative	σαρδάνῐον sardánĭon	σαρδανῐ́ᾱν sardanĭ́ān	σαρδάνῐον sardánĭon	σαρδανῐ́ω sardanĭ́ō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardanĭ́ā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardanĭ́ō	σαρδανῐ́ους sardanĭ́ous	σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardanĭ́ās	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánĭă
Vocative	σαρδάνῐε sardánĭe	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardanĭ́ā	σαρδάνῐον sardánĭon	σαρδανῐ́ω sardanĭ́ō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardanĭ́ā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardanĭ́ō	σαρδάνῐοι sardánĭoi	σαρδάνῐαι sardánĭai	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánĭă
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	σαρδανῐ́ως sardanĭ́ōs			σαρδανῐώτερος sardanĭṓteros			σαρδανῐώτᾰτος sardanĭṓtătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

Greek: σαρδόνιος (sardónios)