μείς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• μήν (mḗn) — Attic
• μής (mḗs) — Laconian
• μεύς (meús) — Elean

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *méns, from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s, itself possibly from *meh₁- (“measure”). Cognate with Latin mēnsis, Proto-Germanic *mēnô (English moon) and *mēnōþs (English month), Old Armenian ամիս (amis), Old Irish mí, Proto-Slavic *měsęcь (Russian месяц (mesjac, “moon, month”)).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /měːs/ → /mis/ → /mis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /měːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /mis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /mis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /mis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /mis/

Noun

μείς • (meís) m (genitive μηνός); third declension

1. month
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 19.114:

     ἣ δ’ ἐκύει φίλον υἱόν, ὃ δ’ ἕβδομος ἑστήκει μείς

     hḕ d’ ekúei phílon huión, hò d’ hébdomos hestḗkei meís

     And she bore a beloved son; and the seventh month was come.

2. visible part of the moon
   • 371 BCE – 287 BCE, Theophrastus, On Weather Signs 27

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ μείς; τοῦ μηνός (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μείς ho meís	τὼ μῆνε tṑ mêne	οἱ μῆνες hoi mênes
Genitive	τοῦ μηνός toû mēnós	τοῖν μηνοῖν toîn mēnoîn	τῶν μηνῶν tôn mēnôn
Dative	τῷ μηνῐ́ tôi mēnĭ́	τοῖν μηνοῖν toîn mēnoîn	τοῖς μησῐ́ / μησῐ́ν toîs mēsĭ́(n)
Accusative	τὸν μῆνᾰ tòn mênă	τὼ μῆνε tṑ mêne	τοὺς μῆνᾰς toùs mênăs
Vocative	μείς meís	μῆνε mêne	μῆνες mênes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ μής; τοῦ μηννός (Aeolic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μής ho mḗs	τὼ μῆννε tṑ mênne	οἱ μῆννες hoi mênnes
Genitive	τοῦ μηννός toû mēnnós	τοῖν μηννοῖν toîn mēnnoîn	τῶν μηννῶν tôn mēnnôn
Dative	τῷ μηννῐ́ tôi mēnnĭ́	τοῖν μηννοῖν toîn mēnnoîn	τοῖς μηνσῐ́ / μηνσῐ́ν toîs mēnsĭ́(n)
Accusative	τὸν μῆννᾰ tòn mênnă	τὼ μῆννε tṑ mênne	τοὺς μῆννᾰς toùs mênnăs
Vocative	μής mḗs	μῆννε mênne	μῆννες mênnes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Third declension of ὁ μείς; τοῖ μειννός (Thessalian)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μείς ho meís	τοὺ μεῖννε toù meînne	οἱ μεῖννες hoi meînnes
Genitive	τοῖ μειννός toî meinnós	τοῖν μειννοῖν toîn meinnoîn	τοῦν μειννῶν toûn meinnôn
Dative	τοῦ μειννῐ́ toû meinnĭ́	τοῖν μειννοῖν toîn meinnoîn	τοῖς μείννεσσῐ / μείννεσσῐν toîs meínnessĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν μεῖννᾰ tòn meînnă	τὼ μεῖννε tṑ meînne	τὸς μεῖννᾰς tòs meînnăs
Vocative	μείς meís	μεῖννε meînne	μεῖννες meînnes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• δεκάμηνος (dekámēnos)
• δίμηνος (dímēnos)
• διχόμηνος (dikhómēnos)
• δυοκαιδεκάμηνος (duokaidekámēnos)
• δυωδεκάμηνος (duōdekámēnos)
• δωδεκάμηνος (dōdekámēnos)
• είκοσάμηνος (eíkosámēnos)
• ἕκμηνος (hékmēnos)
• ἔμμηνος (émmēnos)
• ἑνδεκάμηνος (hendekámēnos)
• ἐννεάμηνος (enneámēnos)
• ἑξάμηνος (hexámēnos)
• ἐπέμμηνος (epémmēnos)
• ἑπτάμηνος (heptámēnos)
• ἠλιτόμηνος (ēlitómēnos)
• μηναῖος (mēnaîos)
• μηνάς (mēnás)
• μήνη (mḗnē)
• μηνιαῖος (mēniaîos)
• μηνιάρχης (mēniárkhēs)
• Μηνιασταί (Mēniastaí)
• μηνιαστεία (mēniasteía)
• μηνιεῖος (mēnieîos)
• μηνίσκος (mēnískos)
• μηνοειδής (mēnoeidḗs)
• μηνολόγιον (mēnológion)
• ὀκτάμηνος (oktámēnos)
• ὁποσάμηνος (hoposámēnos)
• πάμμηνος (pámmēnos)
• πεντάμηνος (pentámēnos)
• σύμμηνος (súmmēnos)
• τελεόμηνος (teleómēnos)
• τετράμηνος (tetrámēnos)
• τρεισκαιδεκάμηνος (treiskaidekámēnos)
• τριακοντάμηνος (triakontámēnos)
• τρίμηνος (trímēnos)

Descendants

• Greek: μήνας (mínas)
• Mariupol Greek: ми́на (mína)

References

• “μείς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “μείς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “μείς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• μείς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “μείς”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter