Ἀχιλλεύς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Ἀχιλεύς (Akhileús) — Epic, sometimes for meter

Etymology

Of uncertain origin. In Mycenaean Greek Linear B texts, the name 𐀀𐀑𐀩𐀄 (a-ki-re-u)^[1] (nominative) / 𐀀𐀑𐀩𐀸 (a-ki-re-we)^[2] (dative) is attested and generally taken to be the same name.^[3]

Since ancient times and in the present day, some have speculated that the name is connected to ἄχος (ákhos, “distress; grief”) and λαός (laós, “people”), as the grief Achilles causes people is a central theme of the Iliad.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.kʰil.lěu̯s/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.kʰilˈleʍs/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.çilˈleɸs/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.çilˈlefs/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.çiˈlefs/

Proper noun

Ἀχιλλεύς • (Akhilleús) m (genitive Ἀχιλλέως); third declension

a male given name, Achilles

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ Ἀχιλλεύς; τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Ἀχιλλεύς ho Akhilleús
Genitive	τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως toû Akhilléōs
Dative	τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ tōî Akhilleî
Accusative	τὸν Ἀχιλλέᾱ tòn Akhilléā
Vocative	Ἀχιλλεῦ Akhilleû
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of Ἀχιλλεύς; Ἀχιλλῆος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	Ἀχιλλεύς Akhilleús
Genitive	Ἀχιλλῆος / Ἀχιλλέος Akhillêos / Akhilléos
Dative	Ἀχιλλῆῐ̈ / Ἀχιλλέῐ̈ Akhillêĭ̈ / Akhilléĭ̈
Accusative	Ἀχιλλῆᾰ / Ἀχιλλέᾰ Akhillêă / Akhilléă
Vocative	Ἀχιλλεῦ Akhilleû
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

Ἀχίλλειος (Akhílleios)

Descendants

Greek: Αχιλλέας (Achilléas), Αχιλλεύς (Achilléfs)
→ Old Armenian: Աքիլլէս (Akʻillēs), Աքիլլեւս (Akʻillews)
- Armenian: Աքիլլես (Akʻilles)
→ Latin: Achilles, Achilleus
- → English: Achilles
- → French: Achille
- → Italian: Achille
- → German: Achill

References

^ Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, volume 76 (1972), →ISBN
^ Linear B, a 1984 Survey: Proceedings of the Mycenaean Colloquium (1985), →ISBN
^ Glotta: Zeitschrift für griechische und lateinische Sprache (1993), The Name of Achilles: a revised etymology, page 19: a-ki-re-u (nominative) and a-ki-re-we (dative) at Knosses (Vc 106) and Pylos (Fn 06) respectively
^ Leonard Palmer (1963) The Interpretation of Mycenaean Greek Texts, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 79
^ Gregory Nagy (19 March 2015 (last accessed)) “The Name of Achilles: Questions of Etymology and “Folk-Etymology””, in Homer’s Text and Language‎^[1], The Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University
^ Glotta: Zeitschrift für griechische und lateinische Sprache (1993), The Name of Achilles: a revised etymology, pages 19 through 21, summarizes Nagy's, Palmer's, and also Kretschmer's theories in this regard.

“Ἀχιλλεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“Ἀχιλλεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
Ἀχιλλεύς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
“Ἀχιλλεύς”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
Ἀχιλλεύς in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[2], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 999

[1] Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, volume 76 (1972), →ISBN

[2] Linear B, a 1984 Survey: Proceedings of the Mycenaean Colloquium (1985), →ISBN

[3] Glotta: Zeitschrift für griechische und lateinische Sprache (1993), The Name of Achilles: a revised etymology, page 19: a-ki-re-u (nominative) and a-ki-re-we (dative) at Knosses (Vc 106) and Pylos (Fn 06) respectively

[4] Leonard Palmer (1963) The Interpretation of Mycenaean Greek Texts, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 79

[Nagy-5] Gregory Nagy (19 March 2015 (last accessed)) “The Name of Achilles: Questions of Etymology and “Folk-Etymology””, in Homer’s Text and Language‎^[1], The Center for Hellenic Studies, Harvard University

[6] Glotta: Zeitschrift für griechische und lateinische Sprache (1993), The Name of Achilles: a revised etymology, pages 19 through 21, summarizes Nagy's, Palmer's, and also Kretschmer's theories in this regard.

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