μακεδνός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain.

Traditionally explained as either formed from a nominal construction parallel to μακρός (makrós), μῆκος (mêkos) + suffix -δόν- (-dón-) which is typical for appellations, animal names and nomina actionis^[1] and may be zero vocalism of -δόνος (-dónos), -δών- (-dṓn-).^[2] It can also be perceived as an arrangement of μηκεδανός (mēkedanós, “long”), in its turn derivation of μῆκος (mêkos).^[2] Hesychius records μακεδνή (fem) as 'long, tall'.^[3]

Beekes suggests a Pre-Greek non-Indo-European origin,^[4] however, de Decker and Nikolaev both reject the argument.^[5]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ma.ke.dnós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ma.keˈdnos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ma.ceˈðnos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ma.ceˈðnos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ma.ceˈðnos/

Adjective

μᾰκεδνός • (măkednós) m (feminine μᾰκεδνή, neuter μᾰκεδνόν); first/second declension

tall, taper
- 8th century BC, Ὅμηρος, Ὀδύσσεια, 7.106
  αἱ δ’ ἱστοὺς ὑφόωσι καὶ ἠλάκατα στρωφῶσιν ἥμεναι, οἱά τε φύλλα μακεδνῆς αἰγείροιο·
  hai d’ histoùs huphóōsi kaì ēlákata strōphôsin hḗmenai, hoiá te phúlla makednês aigeíroio;
  and they sat, looking down on looms and turning wool; moving like leaves of a tall poplar.

Inflection

First and second declension of μᾰκεδνός; μᾰκεδνή; μᾰκεδνόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	μᾰκεδνός măkednós	μᾰκεδνή măkednḗ	μᾰκεδνόν măkednón	μᾰκεδνώ măkednṓ	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ măkednā́	μᾰκεδνώ măkednṓ	μᾰκεδνοί măkednoí	μᾰκεδναί măkednaí	μᾰκεδνᾰ́ măkednắ
Genitive	μᾰκεδνοῦ măkednoû	μᾰκεδνῆς măkednês	μᾰκεδνοῦ măkednoû	μᾰκεδνοῖν măkednoîn	μᾰκεδναῖν măkednaîn	μᾰκεδνοῖν măkednoîn	μᾰκεδνῶν măkednôn	μᾰκεδνῶν măkednôn	μᾰκεδνῶν măkednôn
Dative	μᾰκεδνῷ măkednôi	μᾰκεδνῇ măkednêi	μᾰκεδνῷ măkednôi	μᾰκεδνοῖν măkednoîn	μᾰκεδναῖν măkednaîn	μᾰκεδνοῖν măkednoîn	μᾰκεδνοῖς măkednoîs	μᾰκεδναῖς măkednaîs	μᾰκεδνοῖς măkednoîs
Accusative	μᾰκεδνόν măkednón	μᾰκεδνήν măkednḗn	μᾰκεδνόν măkednón	μᾰκεδνώ măkednṓ	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ măkednā́	μᾰκεδνώ măkednṓ	μᾰκεδνούς măkednoús	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ς măkednā́s	μᾰκεδνᾰ́ măkednắ
Vocative	μᾰκεδνέ măkedné	μᾰκεδνή măkednḗ	μᾰκεδνόν măkednón	μᾰκεδνώ măkednṓ	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ măkednā́	μᾰκεδνώ măkednṓ	μᾰκεδνοί măkednoí	μᾰκεδναί măkednaí	μᾰκεδνᾰ́ măkednắ
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	μᾰκεδνῶς măkednôs			μᾰκεδνότερος măkednóteros			μᾰκεδνότᾰτος măkednótătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Related terms

Μακεδών (Makedṓn)

References

^ Frisk, Hjalmar (1970) “μακεδνός”, in Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 163: “μακε-δν-ός (...) ein suffixales -δόν- ist in Tiernamen, sonstigen Appellativen, sowie in Nom. actionis u. a. zu Hause. Als Grundlage dürfte eine mit μακ-ρός, μῆ-κος parallel gehende nominale Bildung gedient haben.”
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Chantraine, Pierre (1968–1980) “μακεδνός”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque (in French), Paris: Klincksieck, pages 659–660: “-δν-o peut représenter un vocalisme zéro d’un suffix -δών-, -δόνος... Dérivés tardifs et rares: μηκεδανός « long » (AP, Nonnus), arrangement de μακεδνός.”
^ Hesychius of Alexandria, Glossae
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
^ http://www.ejournals.eu/Studia-Linguistica/2016/Issue%202/art/7742/