δελφίς

See also: Δελφίς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• δελφίν (delphín) — Koine

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *gʷelbʰ- (“womb”), with formation similar to ἀκτίς (aktís), γλωχίς (glōkhís), and ὠδίς (ōdís), thus originally meaning "fish with a womb". Cognate with δελφύς (delphús, “womb”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /del.pʰǐːs/ → /ðelˈɸis/ → /ðelˈfis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /del.pʰǐːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /delˈpʰis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ðelˈɸis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ðelˈfis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ðelˈfis/

Noun

δελφῑ́ς • (delphī́s) m (genitive δελφῖνος); third declension

1. dolphin
2. (astronomy) Delphinus, a constellation
3. mass of lead shaped like a dolphin, hung at the yardarm and suddenly let down on the decks of the enemy's ships
4. weight used to steady a ship under sail

   Synonym: κερκέτης (kerkétēs)

5. (in the plural) stops in a machine

Declension

Third declension of ὁ δελφῑ́ς; τοῦ δελφῖνος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ δελφῑ́ς ho delphī́s	τὼ δελφῖνε tṑ delphîne	οἱ δελφῖνες hoi delphînes
Genitive	τοῦ δελφῖνος toû delphînos	τοῖν δελφῑ́νοιν toîn delphī́noin	τῶν δελφῑ́νων tôn delphī́nōn
Dative	τῷ δελφῖνῐ tôi delphîni	τοῖν δελφῑ́νοιν toîn delphī́noin	τοῖς δελφῖσῐ / δελφῖσῐν toîs delphîsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν δελφῖνᾰ tòn delphîna	τὼ δελφῖνε tṑ delphîne	τοὺς δελφῖνᾰς toùs delphînas
Vocative	δελφῑ́ς delphī́s	δελφῖνε delphîne	δελφῖνες delphînes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• δελφινάριον (delphinárion)
• δελφινιάς (delphiniás)
• δελφινίζω (delphinízō)
• δελφίνιον (delphínion)
• δελφινίς (delphinís)
• δελφινίσκος (delphinískos)
• δελφινοειδής (delphinoeidḗs)
• δελφινόμορφος (delphinómorphos)
• δελφινόσημος (delphinósēmos)
• δελφινοφόρος (delphinophóros)

 

Descendants

• Greek: δελφίνι (delfíni)
• → Arabic: دُلْفِين (dulfīn), دَرْفِيل (darfīl)
• → Latin: delphīnus (see there for further descendants)
  • → Translingual: Delphinus
• → Old East Slavic: делфи́съ (delfísŭ)

Further reading

• “δελφίς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “δελφίς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “δελφίς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• δελφίς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• δελφίς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• δελφίς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “δελφίς”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • delphi idem, page 209.
  • dolphin idem, page 246.
  • porpoise idem, page 627.