βάναυσος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Generally taken as an haplology from *βαύναυσος, in turn a compound of βαῦνος (baûnos, “furnace”) and αὔω (aúō, “to scoop, light a fire”). Beekes disregards this proposal as folk etymology and suggests a Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /bá.nau̯.sos/ → /ˈβa.naɸ.sos/ → /ˈva.naf.sos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /bá.nau̯.sos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈba.naʍ.sos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈβa.naɸ.sos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈva.naf.sos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈva.naf.sos/

Adjective

βᾰ́ναυσος • (bắnausos) m or f (neuter βᾰ́ναυσον); second declension

1. artisanal, handmade, handcrafted
2. (figuratively) vulgar, base, unworthy
3. (later) fastidious, meticulous

Declension

Second declension of βᾰ́ναυσος; βᾰ́ναυσον (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		βᾰ́ναυσος bắnausos	βᾰ́ναυσον bắnauson		βᾰναύσω bănaúsō	βᾰναύσω bănaúsō		βᾰ́ναυσοι bắnausoi	βᾰ́ναυσᾰ bắnausă
Genitive		βᾰναύσου bănaúsou	βᾰναύσου bănaúsou		βᾰναύσοιν bănaúsoin	βᾰναύσοιν bănaúsoin		βᾰναύσων bănaúsōn	βᾰναύσων bănaúsōn
Dative		βᾰναύσῳ bănaúsōi	βᾰναύσῳ bănaúsōi		βᾰναύσοιν bănaúsoin	βᾰναύσοιν bănaúsoin		βᾰναύσοις bănaúsois	βᾰναύσοις bănaúsois
Accusative		βᾰ́ναυσον bắnauson	βᾰ́ναυσον bắnauson		βᾰναύσω bănaúsō	βᾰναύσω bănaúsō		βᾰναύσους bănaúsous	βᾰ́ναυσᾰ bắnausă
Vocative		βᾰ́ναυσε bắnause	βᾰ́ναυσον bắnauson		βᾰναύσω bănaúsō	βᾰναύσω bănaúsō		βᾰ́ναυσοι bắnausoi	βᾰ́ναυσᾰ bắnausă
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		βᾰναύσως bănaúsōs			βᾰναυσότερος bănausóteros			βᾰναυσότᾰτος bănausótătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• βᾰναυσῐ́ᾱ (bănausĭ́ā)
• βᾰναυσῐκός (bănausĭkós)
• βᾰναυσοτεχνέω (bănausotekhnéō)
• βᾰναυσουργός (bănausourgós)

Noun

βᾰ́ναυσος • (bắnausos) m (genitive βᾰναύσου); second declension

1. artisan, craftsman

   Synonym: τεχνῑ́της (tekhnī́tēs)

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ βᾰ́ναυσος; τοῦ βᾰναύσου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βᾰ́ναυσος ho bắnausos	τὼ βᾰναύσω tṑ bănaúsō	οἱ βᾰ́ναυσοι hoi bắnausoi
Genitive	τοῦ βᾰναύσου toû bănaúsou	τοῖν βᾰναύσοιν toîn bănaúsoin	τῶν βᾰναύσων tôn bănaúsōn
Dative	τῷ βᾰναύσῳ tôi bănaúsōi	τοῖν βᾰναύσοιν toîn bănaúsoin	τοῖς βᾰναύσοις toîs bănaúsois
Accusative	τὸν βᾰ́ναυσον tòn bắnauson	τὼ βᾰναύσω tṑ bănaúsō	τοὺς βᾰναύσους toùs bănaúsous
Vocative	βᾰ́ναυσε bắnause	βᾰναύσω bănaúsō	βᾰ́ναυσοι bắnausoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → German: Banause

Further reading

• “βάναυσος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βάναυσος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• βάναυσος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βάναυσος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “βάναυσος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 199