βόθρος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

This word and the synonymous βόθυνος (bóthunos) have been connected with Lithuanian bedù (“sting, dig”), Latin fodiō (“to dig”) and Middle Welsh bedd (“canal”). In order to explain the discrepancy between Greek β- and Latin f-, dissimilation of Proto-Indo-European *bʰodʰ- to Proto-Hellenic *bodʰ- was assumed, or influence of βαθύς (bathús, “deep, profound”). Beekes prefers to derive the word from Pre-Greek; according to him, even the meaning suggests such origin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /bó.tʰros/ → /ˈβo.θros/ → /ˈvo.θros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /bó.tʰros/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈbo.tʰros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈβo.θros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈvo.θros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈvo.θros/

Noun

βόθρος • (bóthros) m (genitive βόθρου); second declension

1. hole, trench or pit dug in the ground
2. (in general) hollow, cavity

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ βόθρος; τοῦ βόθρου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βόθρος ho bóthros	τὼ βόθρω tṑ bóthrō	οἱ βόθροι hoi bóthroi
Genitive	τοῦ βόθρου toû bóthrou	τοῖν βόθροιν toîn bóthroin	τῶν βόθρων tôn bóthrōn
Dative	τῷ βόθρῳ tôi bóthrōi	τοῖν βόθροιν toîn bóthroin	τοῖς βόθροις toîs bóthrois
Accusative	τὸν βόθρον tòn bóthron	τὼ βόθρω tṑ bóthrō	τοὺς βόθρους toùs bóthrous
Vocative	βόθρε bóthre	βόθρω bóthrō	βόθροι bóthroi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• βοθρεύω (bothreúō)
• βοθρῐ́ον (bothríon)
• βοθροειδής (bothroeidḗs)
• βοθρόω (bothróō)

 

Descendants

• Greek: βόθρος (vóthros)

Further reading

• “βόθρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βόθρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “βόθρος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• βόθρος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βόθρος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• βόθρος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “βόθρος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 224

Greek

Etymology

Semantically similar to Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰh₂- (“to pierce, to dig”), however, the expected outcome of this root in Greek would be **πόθρος (**póthros) (based on Grassmann's law). Pre-Greek origin or influence from Ancient Greek βαθύς (bathús, “vertically distant (high/deep)”) are possible alternatives.

Noun

βόθρος • (vóthros) m (plural βόθροι)

1. cesspool, cesspit, septic tank

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	βόθρος (vóthros)	βόθροι (vóthroi)
genitive	βόθρου (vóthrou)	βόθρων (vóthron)
accusative	βόθρο (vóthro)	βόθρους (vóthrous)
vocative	βόθρε (vóthre)	βόθροι (vóthroi)

Synonyms

• σηπτική δεξαμενή f (siptikí dexamení, “septic tank”)

References

• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “βόθρος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 224

Further reading

• βόθρος on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el