σπινθήρ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• σπῐ́νθρᾰξ (spínthrax)

Etymology

The formation is similar to ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”) and αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “ether”). Reminiscent of Lithuanian spindžiù (“to gleam”), Latvian spīdēt (“to gleam, beam”) and spuôdrs (“white, gleaming”), but formally impossible to connect. Niedermann connected this word to Latin scintilla (“spark”), suggesting a Mediterranean loan, while Beekes argues for a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /spin.tʰɛ̌ːr/ → /spinˈθir/ → /spinˈθir/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spin.tʰɛ̌ːr/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /spinˈtʰe̝r/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /spinˈθir/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /spinˈθir/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /spinˈθir/

Noun

σπῐνθήρ • (spinthḗr) m (genitive σπῐνθῆρος); third declension

1. spark

Declension

Third declension of ὁ σπῐνθήρ; τοῦ σπῐνθῆρος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σπῐνθήρ ho spinthḗr	τὼ σπῐνθῆρε tṑ spinthêre	οἱ σπῐνθῆρες hoi spinthêres
Genitive	τοῦ σπῐνθῆρος toû spinthêros	τοῖν σπῐνθήροιν toîn spinthḗroin	τῶν σπῐνθήρων tôn spinthḗrōn
Dative	τῷ σπῐνθῆρῐ tôi spinthêri	τοῖν σπῐνθήροιν toîn spinthḗroin	τοῖς σπῐνθῆρσῐ / σπῐνθῆρσῐν toîs spinthêrsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν σπῐνθῆρᾰ tòn spinthêra	τὼ σπῐνθῆρε tṑ spinthêre	τοὺς σπῐνθῆρᾰς toùs spinthêras
Vocative	σπῐνθήρ spinthḗr	σπῐνθῆρε spinthêre	σπῐνθῆρες spinthêres
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• σπῐνθηροβολέω (spinthēroboléō)
• σπῐνθηροειδής (spinthēroeidḗs)
• σπῐνθηρῐ́ζω (spinthērízō)
• σπῐνθᾰρῐ́ς (spintharís)

 

Descendants

• Greek: σπινθήρας (spinthíras)
• Translingual: Spinther (genus of worms)

Further reading

• “σπινθήρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “σπινθήρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “σπινθήρ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• σπινθήρ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• σπινθήρ in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN