δράκαινα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From δράκων (drákōn, “dragon”) +‎ -αινᾰ (-aină).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /drá.kai̯.na/ → /ˈðra.cɛ.na/ → /ˈðra.ce.na/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /drá.kai̯.na/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈdra.kɛ.na/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈðra.cɛ.na/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈðra.ce.na/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈðra.ce.na/

Noun

δράκαινᾰ • (drákaină) f (genitive δρᾰκαίνης); first declension

1. dragoness
2. scourge

Inflection

First declension of ἡ δρᾰ́καινᾰ; τῆς δρᾰκαίνης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ δρᾰ́καινᾰ hē drắkaină	τὼ δρᾰκαίνᾱ tṑ drăkaínā	αἱ δρᾰ́καιναι hai drắkainai
Genitive	τῆς δρᾰκαίνης tês drăkaínēs	τοῖν δρᾰκαίναιν toîn drăkaínain	τῶν δρᾰκαινῶν tôn drăkainôn
Dative	τῇ δρᾰκαίνῃ têi drăkaínēi	τοῖν δρᾰκαίναιν toîn drăkaínain	ταῖς δρᾰκαίναις taîs drăkaínais
Accusative	τὴν δρᾰ́καινᾰν tḕn drắkainăn	τὼ δρᾰκαίνᾱ tṑ drăkaínā	τᾱ̀ς δρᾰκαίνᾱς tā̀s drăkaínās
Vocative	δρᾰ́καινᾰ drắkaină	δρᾰκαίνᾱ drăkaínā	δρᾰ́καιναι drắkainai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → Latin: dracaena
  • Italian: tracina
  • Translingual: Dracaena
• → Translingual: Dracaena

References

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

Greek

Etymology

From Byzantine Greek δράκαινα (drákaina), feminine form of δράκων (drákōn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈðɾacena/
• Hyphenation: δρά‧και‧να

Noun

δράκαινα • (drákaina) f (plural δράκαινες, masculine δράκος or δράκοντας)

1. (female) dragon (legendary serpentine or reptilian creature)

   Ο Γάιδαρος στο «Σρεκ» ερωτεύτηκε τη δράκαινα.

   O Gáidaros sto «Srek» erotéftike ti drákaina.

   Donkey from Shrek fell in love with the dragon.

2. (colloquial, derogatory, figuratively) dragon, harridan, shrew (an unpleasant woman)

   Σωστή δράκαινα αυτή η γυναίκα!

   Sostí drákaina aftí i gynaíka!

   That woman is a right dragon!

3. dragonet (any of the fish in the family Callionymidae)

Declension

Declension of δράκαινα

	singular	plural
nominative	δράκαινα (drákaina)	δράκαινες (drákaines)
genitive	δράκαινας (drákainas)	δρακαινών (drakainón)
accusative	δράκαινα (drákaina)	δράκαινες (drákaines)
vocative	δράκαινα (drákaina)	δράκαινες (drákaines)

The genitive plural is uncommon and considered awkward by scholars.

Synonyms

• (female dragon): δρακόντισσα f (drakóntissa), δράκισσα f (drákissa)

Further reading

• δράκαινα on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el