-εις

See also: Appendix:Variations of "εις"

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

-ϝεις (-weis)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-wénts. See Latin -ōsus.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /eːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /is/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /is/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /is/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /is/

Suffix

-εις • (-eis) m (feminine -εσσᾰ, neuter -εν); first/third declension

-ful

Inflection

First and third declension of -εις; -εσσᾰ; -εν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	-εις -eis	-εσσᾰ -essă	-εν -en	-εντε -ente	-εσσᾱ -essā	-εντε -ente	-εντες -entes	-εσσαι -essai	-εντᾰ -entă
Genitive	-εντος -entos	-εσσης -essēs	-εντος -entos	-εντοιν -entoin	-εσσαιν -essain	-εντοιν -entoin	-εντων -entōn	-εσσῶν -essôn	-εντων -entōn
Dative	-εντῐ -entĭ	-εσσῃ -essēi	-εντῐ -entĭ	-εντοιν -entoin	-εσσαιν -essain	-εντοιν -entoin	-εισῐ / -εισῐν -eisĭ(n)	-εσσαις -essais	-εισῐ / -εισῐν -eisĭ(n)
Accusative	-εντᾰ -entă	-εσσᾰν -essăn	-εν -en	-εντε -ente	-εσσᾱ -essā	-εντε -ente	-εντᾰς -entăs	-εσσᾱς -essās	-εντᾰ -entă
Vocative	-εν -en	-εσσᾰ -essă	-εν -en	-εντε -ente	-εσσᾱ -essā	-εντε -ente	-εντες -entes	-εσσαι -essai	-εντᾰ -entă
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	-εντως -entōs			-έστερος -ésteros			-έστᾰτος -éstătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Words taking this suffix have paroxytone accent, thus χᾰρῐ́εν (khărĭ́en), not **χᾰ́ρῐεν.

Derived terms

Many toponyms and, often nesonym, are formed with the feminine form, lengthened with -o- and contracted, -οῦσσα or -οῦσα:
- Αιγνούσα (Aignoúsa) (latin Aegnussae)
- Ἀργινοῦσσαι (Arginoûssai) or Ἀργινοῦσαι, related to ἀργής
- Ἀνθεμοῦσσα (Anthemoûssa), related to Ἀνθεμοῦς
- Κρομυοῦσσα (Kromuoûssa), from κρόμυον or κρόμμυον
- Δρυμοῦσσα (Drumoûssa) (latin Drymusa), from δρῦς
- Ἐλαιοῦσσα (Elaioûssa), from ἐλαία
- Ἰχνοῦσσα (Ikhnoûssa) (latin Ichnusa), from ἴχνος?
- Μηλοῦσσα (Mēloûssa), from μῆλον
- Οἰνοῦσσαι (Oinoûssai) (latin Oenussae), from οἶνος
- Ὀφιοῦσσα (Ophioûssa) (latin Ophiussa), from ὄφις
- Πιθηκοῦσαι (Pithēkoûsai) or Πιθηκοῦσαι, derived from πίθηκος
- Πιτυοῦσσαι (Pituoûssai) (latin Pityusae), from πίτυς
- Σχοινοῦσσα (Skhoinoûssa), from σχοῖνος
- Σειρηνοῦσσαι (Seirēnoûssai), from Σειρήν
- Φωκοῦσσαι (Phōkoûssai), from φώκη
Those related to the island of Sicily
- Αἴγουσσαι (Aígoussai) (latin Aegusae), from αἴξ
- Ἐρικοῦσσα (Erikoûssa) (latin Ericūsa), supposedly from ἐρείκη
- Λοπαδοῦσσα (Lopadoûssa) (latin Lopadūsa), unknown
- Πυργούσσα (Purgoússa) (latin Pergusa), possibly from πῠ́ργος
- Ραγούσιον (Ragoúsion) (latin Ragusia), unknown
- Συρᾱ́κουσαι (Surā́kousai) (latin Syracusae), from an unattested (possibly Pre-Greek)*συράκ-
- Φοινικοῦσσα (Phoinikoûssa) (latin Phoenicusa), from φοῖνιξ (phoînix)

References

Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 858.3
García Alonso, J. L (2010), Ancient Greek Names in -oussa in the West of the Mediterranean