ὀφθαλμός

See also: οφθαλμός

Ancient Greek

Picture dictionary

κρανίον

ὀφθαλμός

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Etymology

Traditionally derived from ὄψ (óps, “eye”) +‎ θάλαμος (thálamos, “chamber”), but note the usual ancient Greek word for eye is the similar ὤψ (ṓps), with a long /o/.

Based on irregular κτ : πτ : φθ variation seen in variants like ὄκταλλος (óktallos) and ὀπτίλλος (optíllos), as well as the suffix -αλλ- (-all-) seen in ὄκταλλος (óktallos) being difficult to explain in Indo-European terms, Beekes takes the word to be of Pre-Greek origin, with proto-form *okʷt-alʸ-m-. The hypothetical Pre-Greek form's similarity to the Proto-Indo-European equivalent *h₃ókʷs (“eye”) is coincidental, according to Beekes; he additionally notes the contrast with the Homeric gloss ὄκκον (ókkon) given to ὀφθαλμόν (ophthalmón), which may be from the Indo-European root.^[1]

Alternatively, Watkins derives it from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ókʷs by taboo deformation to avoid the evil eye.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /opʰ.tʰal.mós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /opʰ.tʰalˈmos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /oɸ.θalˈmos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /of.θalˈmos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /of.θalˈmos/

Noun

ὀφθᾰλμός • (ophthălmós) m (genitive ὀφθᾰλμοῦ); second declension^[3]^[4]

eye
Synonym: ὤψ (ṓps)
1. (in the singular) eye of a master or ruler
2. eye of heaven
3. that which is dearest or best; light, cheer, comfort
4. (botany) eye, bud (such as the eye of a potato)
5. (surgery) surgical bandage covering one or both eyes
6. (architecture, in the dual) disks forming the centers of the volutes of an Ionic capital
7. (Byzantine) a kind of stone
8. (Byzantine) water inlet of a mill
sight
Synonyms: ὅρᾱσῐς (hórāsĭs), εἶδος (eîdos)
understanding
Synonym: σῠ́νεσῐς (sŭ́nesĭs)

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ ὀφθᾰλμός; τοῦ ὀφθᾰλμοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὀφθᾰλμός ho ophthălmós	τὼ ὀφθᾰλμώ tṑ ophthălmṓ	οἱ ὀφθᾰλμοί hoi ophthălmoí
Genitive	τοῦ ὀφθᾰλμοῦ toû ophthălmoû	τοῖν ὀφθᾰλμοῖν toîn ophthălmoîn	τῶν ὀφθᾰλμῶν tôn ophthălmôn
Dative	τῷ ὀφθᾰλμῷ tōî ophthălmōî	τοῖν ὀφθᾰλμοῖν toîn ophthălmoîn	τοῖς ὀφθᾰλμοῖς toîs ophthălmoîs
Accusative	τὸν ὀφθᾰλμόν tòn ophthălmón	τὼ ὀφθᾰλμώ tṑ ophthălmṓ	τοὺς ὀφθᾰλμούς toùs ophthălmoús
Vocative	ὀφθᾰλμέ ophthălmé	ὀφθᾰλμώ ophthălmṓ	ὀφθᾰλμοί ophthălmoí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of ὀφθᾰλμός; ὀφθᾰλμοῦ (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὀφθᾰλμός ophthălmós	ὀφθᾰλμώ ophthălmṓ	ὀφθᾰλμοί ophthălmoí
Genitive	ὀφθᾰλμοῦ / ὀφθᾰλμοῖο / ὀφθᾰλμόο ophthălmoû / ophthălmoîo / ophthălmóo	ὀφθᾰλμοῖν / ὀφθᾰλμοῖῐν ophthălmoî(ĭ)n	ὀφθᾰλμῶν ophthălmôn
Dative	ὀφθᾰλμῷ ophthălmōî	ὀφθᾰλμοῖν / ὀφθᾰλμοῖῐν ophthălmoî(ĭ)n	ὀφθᾰλμοῖς / ὀφθᾰλμοῖσῐ / ὀφθᾰλμοῖσῐν ophthălmoîs / ophthălmoîsĭ(n)
Accusative	ὀφθᾰλμόν ophthălmón	ὀφθᾰλμώ ophthălmṓ	ὀφθᾰλμούς ophthălmoús
Vocative	ὀφθᾰλμέ ophthălmé	ὀφθᾰλμώ ophthălmṓ	ὀφθᾰλμοί ophthălmoí
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

αἰγόφθᾰλμος (aigóphthălmos)
αἰλουρόφθᾰλμος (ailouróphthălmos)
αἰωνόφθᾰλμος (aiōnóphthălmos)
ᾰ̓νόφθᾰλμος (ănóphthălmos)
ᾰ̓ντόφθᾰλμος (ăntóphthălmos)
ᾰ̓ραιόφθᾰλμος (ăraióphthălmos)
ᾰ̓ττελεβόφθᾰλμος (ăttelebóphthălmos)
γερᾰνόφθᾰλμος (gerănóphthălmos)
γλαυκόφθᾰλμος (glaukóphthălmos)
γοργόφθᾰλμος (gorgóphthălmos)
δῠσόφθᾰλμος (dŭsóphthălmos)
ἐξόφθᾰλμος (exóphthălmos)
ἑτερόφθᾰλμος (heteróphthălmos)
εὐόφθᾰλμος (euóphthălmos)
ἡδῠόφθᾰλμος (hēdŭóphthălmos)
κοιλόφθᾰλμος (koilóphthălmos)
λᾰγώφθᾰλμος (lăgṓphthălmos)
λᾰμπρόφθᾰλμος (lămpróphthălmos)
λευκόφθᾰλμος (leukóphthălmos)
λῑρόφθᾰλμος (līróphthălmos)
λοξόφθᾰλμος (loxóphthălmos)
λῠκόφθᾰλμος (lŭkóphthălmos)
μᾰλᾰκόφθᾰλμος (mălăkóphthălmos)
μεγᾰλόφθᾰλμος (megălóphthălmos)
μελᾰνόφθᾰλμος (melănóphthălmos)
μεσόφθᾰλμος (mesóphthălmos)
μῐκρόφθᾰλμος (mĭkróphthălmos)
μονόφθᾰλμος (monóphthălmos)
μῡρῐόφθᾰλμος (mūrĭóphthălmos)
ὀφθᾰλμηδόν (ophthălmēdón)
ὀφθᾰλμῐ́ᾱ (ophthălmĭ́ā)
ὀφθᾰ́λμῐᾰ (ophthắlmĭă)
ὀφθᾰλμῐ́ᾱς (ophthălmĭ́ās)
ὀφθᾰλμῐ́δῐον (ophthălmĭ́dĭon)
ὀφθᾰλμῐ́ζομαι (ophthălmĭ́zomai)
ὀφθᾰλμῐκός (ophthălmĭkós)
ὀφθᾰλμῖτῐς (ophthălmîtĭs)
ὀφθᾰλμοβόλος (ophthălmobólos)
ὀφθᾰλμοβόρος (ophthălmobóros)
ὀφθᾰλμοδουλείᾱ (ophthălmodouleíā)
ὀφθᾰλμοειδής (ophthălmoeidḗs)
ὀφθᾰλμοκλέπτης (ophthălmokléptēs)
ὀφθᾰλμοπόνος (ophthălmopónos)
ὀφθᾰλμόσοφος (ophthălmósophos)
ὀφθᾰλμοστᾰτήρ (ophthălmostătḗr)
ὀφθᾰλμότεγκτος (ophthălmótenktos)
ὀφθᾰλμοφᾰνής (ophthălmophănḗs)
ὀφθᾰλμώρῠχος (ophthălmṓrŭkhos)
πᾰντόφθᾰλμος (păntóphthălmos)
πλᾰτῠόφθᾰλμος (plătŭóphthălmos)
πολῠόφθᾰλμος (polŭóphthălmos)
πονηρόφθᾰλμος (ponēróphthălmos)
πῠκνόφθᾰλμος (pŭknóphthălmos)
ῥῑψόφθᾰλμος (rhīpsóphthălmos)
σκληρόφθᾰλμος (sklēróphthălmos)
σκοροδόφθᾰλμος (skorodóphthălmos)
στερνόφθᾰλμος (sternóphthălmos)
ταυρόφθᾰλμος (tauróphthălmos)
τρῐόφθᾰλμος (trĭóphthălmos)
τρῠφερόφθᾰλμος (trŭpheróphthălmos)
ῠ̔γρόφθᾰλμος (hŭgróphthălmos)
ῠ̔όφθᾰλμος (hŭóphthălmos)
ῠ̔ψόφθᾰλμος (hŭpsóphthălmos)
χᾰροπόφθᾰλμος (khăropóphthălmos)
ὡραιόφθᾰλμος (hōraióphthălmos)

Descendants

Greek: οφθαλμός (ofthalmós)
→ English: ophthalmo-
→ French: ophtalmo-
→ German: ophthalmo-

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ὀφθαλμός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1133-4
^ "okʷ-", in Watkins, Calvert, ed. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed.
^ “ὀφθαλμός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
^ ὀφθαλμός 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