ἰσθμός

See also: Ἰσθμός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

A derivation from εἶμῐ (eîmĭ, “to go or come”) with a suffix -θμο- has been assumed, comparing also Old Norse eið (“isthmus”). However, the -σ- is unexplained, so the word could well be of Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /istʰ.mós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /istʰˈmos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /isθˈmos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /isθˈmos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /isθˈmos/

Noun

ῐ̓σθμός • (ĭsthmós) m (genitive ῐ̓σθμοῦ); second declension

neck, narrow passage of the body
1. (anatomy) pharynx, fauces
neck of land between two seas; isthmus
1. narrow ridge
2. strait, narrow channel (of the sea)

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ ῐ̓σθμός; τοῦ ῐ̓σθμοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ῐ̓σθμός ho ĭsthmós	τὼ ῐ̓σθμώ tṑ ĭsthmṓ	οἱ ῐ̓σθμοί hoi ĭsthmoí
Genitive	τοῦ ῐ̓σθμοῦ toû ĭsthmoû	τοῖν ῐ̓σθμοῖν toîn ĭsthmoîn	τῶν ῐ̓σθμῶν tôn ĭsthmôn
Dative	τῷ ῐ̓σθμῷ tōî ĭsthmōî	τοῖν ῐ̓σθμοῖν toîn ĭsthmoîn	τοῖς ῐ̓σθμοῖς toîs ĭsthmoîs
Accusative	τὸν ῐ̓σθμόν tòn ĭsthmón	τὼ ῐ̓σθμώ tṑ ĭsthmṓ	τοὺς ῐ̓σθμούς toùs ĭsthmoús
Vocative	ῐ̓σθμέ ĭsthmé	ῐ̓σθμώ ĭsthmṓ	ῐ̓σθμοί ĭsthmoí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἐπῐ́σθμῐος (epĭ́sthmĭos)
ῐ̓σθμῐᾰκός (ĭsthmĭăkós)
ῐ̓σθμῐκός (ĭsthmĭkós)
ῐ̓́σθμῐον (ĭ́sthmĭon)
ῐ̓σθμοειδής (ĭsthmoeidḗs)
Ῐ̓σθμός (Ĭsthmós)
ῐ̓σθμώδης (ĭsthmṓdēs)
πᾰρῐ́σθμῐον (părĭ́sthmĭon)
σῠνῐσθμῐ́ζω (sŭnĭsthmĭ́zō)
ῠ̔περῐσθμῐ́ζω (hŭperĭsthmĭ́zō)

Descendants

Greek: ισθμός (isthmós)
→ Latin: isthmus
- → English: isthmus
- → French: isthme
- → Italian: istmo

References

“Ισθμός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press