θάλασσα

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• σᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ (sắlăssă) — Laconian
• θᾰ́λᾰθθᾰ (thắlăththă) — Cretan
• θᾰ́λᾰττᾰ (thắlăttă) — Attic, later

Etymology

According to Beekes, a Pre-Greek substrate borrowing tentatively reconstructed as *talak^ya; the element "-σσ-", as well as the local geographic meaning, points to a Pre-Greek origin. Compare the possible cognate Luwian 𒀀𒆷𒀸𒊭𒄠𒈪𒅖 (/⁠alassammis⁠/).

Older theories related the word to ἅλς (háls, “salt”), cf. Latin sāl (“salt”), salum (“sea”), Salacia (“sea goddess”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /tʰá.las.sa/ → /ˈθa.las.sa/ → /ˈθa.la.sa/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /tʰá.las.sa/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈtʰa.las.sa/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈθa.las.sa/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈθa.las.sa/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈθa.la.sa/

Noun

θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ • (thắlăssă) f (genitive θᾰλᾰ́σσης); first declension

1. sea

   Synonyms: πέλαγος (pélagos), πόντος (póntos)

2. the Mediterranean Sea
3. channel
4. salt water

Inflection

First declension of θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ; θᾰλᾰ́σσης (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ thắlăssă	θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ thălắssā	θᾰ́λᾰσσαι thắlăssai
Genitive	θᾰλᾰ́σσης thălắssēs	θᾰλᾰ́σσαιν / θᾰλᾰ́σσαιῐν / θᾰλᾰ́σσῃῐν thălắssai(ĭ)n / thălắssēiĭn	θᾰλᾰσσᾱ́ων / θᾰλᾰσσέ͜ων / θᾰλᾰσσῶν thălăssā́ōn / thălăssé͜ōn / thălăssôn
Dative	θᾰλᾰ́σσῃ thălắssēi	θᾰλᾰ́σσαιν / θᾰλᾰ́σσαιῐν / θᾰλᾰ́σσῃῐν thălắssai(ĭ)n / thălắssēiĭn	θᾰλᾰ́σσῃσῐ / θᾰλᾰ́σσῃσῐν / θᾰλᾰ́σσῃς / θᾰλᾰ́σσαις thălắssēisĭ(n) / thălắssēis / thălắssais
Accusative	θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰν thắlăssăn	θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ thălắssā	θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱς thălắssās
Vocative	θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ thắlăssă	θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ thălắssā	θᾰ́λᾰσσαι thắlăssai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First declension of ἡ θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ; τῆς θᾰλᾰ́σσης (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ hē thắlăssă	τὼ θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ tṑ thălắssā	αἱ θᾰ́λᾰσσαι hai thắlăssai
Genitive	τῆς θᾰλᾰ́σσης tês thălắssēs	τοῖν θᾰλᾰ́σσαιν toîn thălắssain	τῶν θᾰλᾰσσέων / θᾰλᾰσσῶν tôn thălăsséōn / thălăssôn
Dative	τῇ θᾰλᾰ́σσῃ têi thălắssēi	τοῖν θᾰλᾰ́σσαιν toîn thălắssain	τῇσῐ / τῇσῐν θᾰλᾰ́σσῃσῐ / θᾰλᾰ́σσῃσῐν têisĭ(n) thălắssēisĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰν tḕn thắlăssăn	τὼ θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ tṑ thălắssā	τᾱ̀ς θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱς tā̀s thălắssās
Vocative	θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ thắlăssă	θᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ thălắssā	θᾰ́λᾰσσαι thắlăssai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First declension of ᾱ̔ σᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ; τᾶς σᾰλᾰ́σσᾱς (Laconian)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ᾱ̔ σᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ hā sắlăssă	τὼ σᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ tṑ sălắssā	ταὶ σᾰ́λᾰσσαι taì sắlăssai
Genitive	τᾶς σᾰλᾰ́σσᾱς tâs sălắssās	τοῖν σᾰλᾰ́σσαιν toîn sălắssain	τᾶν θᾰλᾰσσᾶν tân thălăssân
Dative	τᾷ σᾰλᾰ́σσᾳ tâi sălắssāi	τοῖν σᾰλᾰ́σσαιν toîn sălắssain	ταῖς σᾰλᾰ́σσαις taîs sălắssais
Accusative	τᾱ̀ν σᾰ́λᾰσσᾰν tā̀n sắlăssăn	τὼ σᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ tṑ sălắssā	τᾱ̀ς σᾰλᾰ́σσᾱς tā̀s sălắssās
Vocative	σᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ sắlăssă	σᾰλᾰ́σσᾱ sălắssā	σᾰ́λᾰσσαι sắlăssai
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• Ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα (Eruthrà thálassa)
• θαλασσαίγλη (thalassaíglē)
• θαλασσαῖος (thalassaîos)
• θαλασσερός (thalasserós)
• θαλασσεύς (thalasseús)
• θαλασσεύω (thalasseúō)
• θαλασσία (thalassía)
• θαλασσίγονος (thalassígonos)
• θαλασσίδιος (thalassídios)
• θαλασσίζω (thalassízō)
• θαλάσσιος (thalássios)
• θαλασσίτης (thalassítēs)
• θαλασσοβαφέω (thalassobaphéō)
• θαλασσοβαφής (thalassobaphḗs)
• θαλασσοβίωτος (thalassobíōtos)
• θαλασσοβραχής (thalassobrakhḗs)
• θαλασσογενής (thalassogenḗs)
• θαλασσογράφος (thalassográphos)
• θαλασσοδομέτρης (thalassodométrēs)
• θαλασσοειδής (thalassoeidḗs)
• θαλασσόκλυστος (thalassóklustos)
• θαλασσοκοπέω (thalassokopéō)
• θαλασσοκράμβη (thalassokrámbē)
• θαλασσοκρατέω (thalassokratéō)
• θαλασσοκρατία (thalassokratía)
• θαλασσοκράτωρ (thalassokrátōr)
• θαλασσομαχέω (thalassomakhéō)
• θαλασσομάχος (thalassomákhos)
• θαλασσομέδων (thalassomédōn)
• θαλασσόμελι (thalassómeli)
• θαλασσομιγής (thalassomigḗs)
• θαλασσόμοθος (thalassómothos)
• θαλασσονόμος (thalassonómos)
• θαλασσόπαις (thalassópais)
• θαλασσόπλαγκτος (thalassóplanktos)
• θαλασσόπληκτος (thalassóplēktos)
• θαλασσόπλοος (thalassóploos)
• θαλασσοποιός (thalassopoiós)
• θαλασσοπορέω (thalassoporéō)
• θαλασσοπόρος (thalassopóros)
• θαλασσοπόρφυρος (thalassopórphuros)
• θαλασσόπρασον (thalassóprason)
• θαλασσόσημος (thalassósēmos)
• θαλασσοτείχιστος (thalassoteíkhistos)
• θαλασσότοκος (thalassótokos)
• θαλασσουργέω (thalassourgéō)
• θαλασσουργία (thalassourgía)
• θαλασσουργός (thalassourgós)
• θαλασσόω (thalassóō)
• θαλασσώδης (thalassṓdēs)
• θαλάσσωσις (thalássōsis)
• παραθαλάσσιος (parathalássios)

Descendants

• Albanian: tallaz
• → Coptic: ⲑⲁⲗⲁⲥⲥⲁ (thalassa), ϩⲁⲗⲁⲥⲥⲁ (halassa)
• → English: thalasso-, Thalassa
• Greek:
  • Modern Greek: θάλασσα (thálassa)
  • Mariupol Greek: тъа́ласа (θálasa)
  • Tsakonian: θάσσα (thássa)
• → Latin: Thalassa
• → Romani: talaso
• → Ottoman Turkish: طالاز (talaz), طلاس (talas), تالاز (talaz)
  • → Romanian: talaz
  • → Serbo-Croatian: tȁlās / та̏ла̄с

Further reading

• “θάλασσα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “θάλασσα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “θάλασσα”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• θάλασσα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• θάλασσα in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “θάλασσα”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G2281 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• θάλασσα in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • atlantic (sea) idem, page 49.
  • brine idem, page 99.
  • deep idem, page 203.
  • sea idem, page 744.
  • water idem, page 967.

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek θάλασσα (thálassa). Cognate with Tsakonian θάσσα (thássa, “sea”), Mariupol Greek тъа́ласа (θálasa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈθalasa]

Noun

θάλασσα • (thálassa) f (plural θάλασσες)

1. sea

   Βαλτική Θάλασσα, Μεσόγειος Θάλασσα ― Valtikí Thálassa, Mesógeios Thálassa ― Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea

2. sea (all the seas and oceans)

   Πήγε στη θάλασσα.

   Píge sti thálassa.

   He went to sea.

3. storm

   πολύ θάλασσα ― polý thálassa ― heavy seas, stormy weather

Usage notes

• ωκεανός m (okeanós, “ocean”) (e.g. Atlantic, Pacific)
• θάλασσα f (thálassa, “larger sea”) (e.g. Mediterranean, Baltic, Caribbean)
• πέλαγος n (pélagos, “smaller sea”) (e.g. Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian)

Declension

Declension of θάλασσα

	singular	plural
nominative	θάλασσα (thálassa)	θάλασσες (thálasses)
genitive	θάλασσας (thálassas)	θαλασσών (thalassón)
accusative	θάλασσα (thálassa)	θάλασσες (thálasses)
vocative	θάλασσα (thálassa)	θάλασσες (thálasses)

Related terms

• ακροθαλασσιά f (akrothalassiá, “seashore”)
• θαλασσής (thalassís, “light blue”)
• θαλασσί n (thalassí, “light blue”)
• θαλασσινά n pl (thalassiná, “seafood”)
• θαλασσινή f (thalassiní, “seawoman, seafarer, dweller by the sea”)
• θαλασσινός m (thalassinós, “seaman, seafarer, dweller by the sea”)
• θαλασσινός (thalassinós, “marine, in the sea”)
• θαλάσσιος (thalássios, “marine, sea”)
• θαλασσίτσα n (thalassítsa)
• θαλασσόβιος (thalassóvios, “frequenting the sea”)
• θαλασσογραφία f (thalassografía, “seascape”)
• θαλασσοδάνειο n (thalassodáneio, “sea loan, risky loan, bottomry”)
• θαλασσοδαρμένος (thalassodarménos, “weather-beaten, beaten by the sea”)
• θαλασσοδέρνομαι (thalassodérnomai)
• θαλασσοδέρνω (thalassodérno)
• θαλασσοκράτειρα f (thalassokráteira, “sea power”)
• θαλασσοκρατία f (thalassokratía, “sea mastery, naval supremacy”)
• θαλασσοκράτορας m (thalassokrátoras, “sea power”)
• θαλασσοκρατορία f (thalassokratoría, “sea mastery, naval supremacy”)
• θαλασσόλυκος m (thalassólykos, “sea dog, old salt”)
• θαλασσόλυκος n (thalassólykos)
• θαλασσόνερο n (thalassónero, “seawater”)
• θαλασσοπνίγομαι (thalassopnígomai, “be half-drowned, be in difficulties at sea”)
• θαλασσοπόρος m or f (thalassopóros, “seavoyager, navigator, marine explorer”)
• θαλασσοπούλι n (thalassopoúli, “seabird”)
• θαλασσοταραχή f (thalassotarachí, “rough sea”)
• θαλασσόχορτο n (thalassóchorto, “samphire”)
• θαλασσώνω (thalassóno, “to mess things up”)
• λαοθάλασσα f (laothálassa)
• λιμνοθάλασσα f (limnothálassa)

Further reading

• θάλασσα, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language
• θάλασσα on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el