βαλιός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The formation is similar to πολιός (poliós, “grey”) and other colour adjectives. Since *b- is rare in Proto-Indo-European, it has been considered a loanword from another language, perhaps Thracian, Phrygian and Illyrian. If so, the genuinely Greek cognate would have to be φαλιός (phaliós, “with a white spot”). Pokorny posits Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“shiny, white”). Also Comparing Albanian ballë (“horse with a white spot on its forehead”), close to Proto-Albanian *balā, or from it.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ba.li.ós/ → /βa.liˈos/ → /va.liˈos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ba.li.ós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ba.liˈos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βa.liˈos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /va.liˈos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /va.liˈos/

Adjective

βᾰλῐός • (bălĭós) m (feminine βᾰλῐᾱ́, neuter βᾰλῐόν); first/second declension

1. spotted, dappled, mottled

   Synonyms: ποικῐ́λος (poikĭ́los), ῥᾰντός (rhăntós)

2. swift, rapid, fast

Inflection

First and second declension of βᾰλῐός; βᾰλῐᾱ́; βᾰλῐόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		βᾰλῐός bălĭós	βᾰλῐᾱ́ bălĭā́	βᾰλῐόν bălĭón		βᾰλῐώ bălĭṓ	βᾰλῐᾱ́ bălĭā́	βᾰλῐώ bălĭṓ		βᾰλῐοί bălĭoí	βᾰλῐαί bălĭaí	βᾰλῐᾰ́ bălĭắ
Genitive		βᾰλῐοῦ bălĭoû	βᾰλῐᾶς bălĭâs	βᾰλῐοῦ bălĭoû		βᾰλῐοῖν bălĭoîn	βᾰλῐαῖν bălĭaîn	βᾰλῐοῖν bălĭoîn		βᾰλῐῶν bălĭôn	βᾰλῐῶν bălĭôn	βᾰλῐῶν bălĭôn
Dative		βᾰλῐῷ bălĭôi	βᾰλῐᾷ bălĭâi	βᾰλῐῷ bălĭôi		βᾰλῐοῖν bălĭoîn	βᾰλῐαῖν bălĭaîn	βᾰλῐοῖν bălĭoîn		βᾰλῐοῖς bălĭoîs	βᾰλῐαῖς bălĭaîs	βᾰλῐοῖς bălĭoîs
Accusative		βᾰλῐόν bălĭón	βᾰλῐᾱ́ν bălĭā́n	βᾰλῐόν bălĭón		βᾰλῐώ bălĭṓ	βᾰλῐᾱ́ bălĭā́	βᾰλῐώ bălĭṓ		βᾰλῐούς bălĭoús	βᾰλῐᾱ́ς bălĭā́s	βᾰλῐᾰ́ bălĭắ
Vocative		βᾰλῐέ bălĭé	βᾰλῐᾱ́ bălĭā́	βᾰλῐόν bălĭón		βᾰλῐώ bălĭṓ	βᾰλῐᾱ́ bălĭā́	βᾰλῐώ bălĭṓ		βᾰλῐοί bălĭoí	βᾰλῐαί bălĭaí	βᾰλῐᾰ́ bălĭắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		βᾰλῐῶς bălĭôs				βᾰλῐώτερος bălĭṓteros				βᾰλῐώτᾰτος bălĭṓtătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• Βᾰλῐ́ος (Bălĭ́os)

Further reading

• “βαλιός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βαλιός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• βαλιός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βαλιός in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• 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