γυμναστής

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From γῠμνᾰ́ζω (gŭmnắzō, “to train, exercise”) +‎ -τής (-tḗs, masculine agentive suffix).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɡym.nas.tɛ̌ːs/ → /ʝym.nasˈtis/ → /ʝim.nasˈtis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡym.nas.tɛ̌ːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɡym.nasˈte̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ʝym.nasˈtis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ʝym.nasˈtis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ʝim.nasˈtis/

Noun

γῠμνᾰστής • (gŭmnăstḗs) m (genitive γῠμνᾰστοῦ); first declension

1. trainer of professional athletes
2. athlete, gymnast

Inflection

First declension of ὁ γῠμνᾰστής; τοῦ γῠμνᾰστοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ γῠμνᾰστής ho gŭmnăstḗs	τὼ γῠμνᾰστᾱ́ tṑ gŭmnăstā́	οἱ γῠμνᾰσταί hoi gŭmnăstaí
Genitive	τοῦ γῠμνᾰστοῦ toû gŭmnăstoû	τοῖν γῠμνᾰσταῖν toîn gŭmnăstaîn	τῶν γῠμνᾰστῶν tôn gŭmnăstôn
Dative	τῷ γῠμνᾰστῇ tôi gŭmnăstêi	τοῖν γῠμνᾰσταῖν toîn gŭmnăstaîn	τοῖς γῠμνᾰσταῖς toîs gŭmnăstaîs
Accusative	τὸν γῠμνᾰστήν tòn gŭmnăstḗn	τὼ γῠμνᾰστᾱ́ tṑ gŭmnăstā́	τοὺς γῠμνᾰστᾱ́ς toùs gŭmnăstā́s
Vocative	γῠμνᾰστᾰ́ gŭmnăstắ	γῠμνᾰστᾱ́ gŭmnăstā́	γῠμνᾰσταί gŭmnăstaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• γῠμνᾰστέος (gŭmnăstéos)
• γῠμνᾰστῐκός (gŭmnăstĭkós)

Descendants

• → English: gymnast
• → Greek: γυμναστής (gymnastís) (learned)
• → Italian: ginnasta

Further reading

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

Greek

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek γῠμνᾰστής (gŭmnăstḗs).

Noun

γυμναστής • (gymnastís) m (plural γυμναστές, feminine γυμνάστρια)

1. athletic trainer, fitness trainer, personal trainer, trainer of athletes

Usage notes

• Note: this does not mean gymnast, which is instead denoted by αθλητής της γυμναστικής (athlitís tis gymnastikís).

Declension

Declension of γυμναστής

	singular	plural
nominative	γυμναστής (gymnastís)	γυμναστές (gymnastés)
genitive	γυμναστή (gymnastí)	γυμναστών (gymnastón)
accusative	γυμναστή (gymnastí)	γυμναστές (gymnastés)
vocative	γυμναστή (gymnastí)	γυμναστές (gymnastés)

Related terms

• γυμνάζω (gymnázo, “to train, to exercise”)
• ενόργανη γυμναστική f (enórgani gymnastikí, “gymnastics”, literally “artistic or instrumental exercise”)