ἀσπάλαθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Solmsen connected σπαλύσσεται (spalússetai, “to rip, agitate”) and σφαλάσσειν (sphalássein, “to cut, sting”), but this is semantically unconvincing. It is rather a Pre-Greek word in view of the suffix, typical of plant names. The word has also been compared with παλίουρος (palíouros, “Christ's thorn”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /as.pá.la.tʰos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /asˈpa.la.tʰos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /asˈpa.la.θos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /asˈpa.la.θos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /asˈpa.la.θos/

Noun

ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθος • (aspắlăthos) m or f (genitive ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θου); second declension

name of several types of thornbush
1. camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum)
  Synonym: ἐρῠσῐ́σκηπτρον (erŭsĭ́skēptron)
2. spiny broom (Calicotome villosa)
3. Genista acanthoclada

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ, ἡ ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθος; τοῦ, τῆς ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ, ἡ ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθος ho, hē aspắlăthos	τὼ ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θω tṑ aspălắthō	οἱ, αἱ ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθοι hoi, hai aspắlăthoi
Genitive	τοῦ, τῆς ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θου toû, tês aspălắthou	τοῖν ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θοιν toîn aspălắthoin	τῶν ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θων tôn aspălắthōn
Dative	τῷ, τῇ ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θῳ tōî, tēî aspălắthōi	τοῖν ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θοιν toîn aspălắthoin	τοῖς, ταῖς ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θοις toîs, taîs aspălắthois
Accusative	τὸν, τὴν ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθον tòn, tḕn aspắlăthon	τὼ ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θω tṑ aspălắthō	τοὺς, τᾱ̀ς ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θους toùs, tā̀s aspălắthous
Vocative	ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθε aspắlăthe	ἀσπᾰλᾰ́θω aspălắthō	ἀσπᾰ́λᾰθοι aspắlăthoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

> Greek: ασπάλαθος (aspálathos) (inherited)
→ Latin: aspalathus
→ Translingual: Aspalathus