μιαιφόνος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From μῐαίνω (miaínō, “stain”) + -φόνος (“-killer”), φόνος (phónos, “murder”) (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mi.ai̯.pʰó.nos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /mi.ɛˈpʰo.nos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /mi.ɛˈɸo.nos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /mi.eˈfo.nos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /mi.eˈfo.nos/

Adjective

μῐαιφόνος • (miaiphónos) m or f (neuter μῐαιφόνον); second declension

bloodthirsty, murderous (epithet of Mars (Ares))
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.31:
  Ἄρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα
  Áres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta
  Ares, Ares, thou bane of mortals, thou blood-stained stormer of walls
  
  English translation by A.T. Murray @perseus
  
  Goddess Athena addresses Ares (Mars)
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 5.455:
  Apollo speaks the same phrase: Ἄρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιπλῆτα (Áres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta)
  Apollo speaks the same phrase: Áres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta (Áres Áres brotoloigè miaiphóne teikhesiplêta)
- 425 BCE, Euripides, Andromache 334:
  μιαιφόνον μὲν οὐκέτ’ ἂν φύγοι μύσος
  miaiphónon mèn oukét’ àn phúgoi músos
  From that point on she will not escape the pollution of murder.
  
  English translation by David Kovacs @perseus.tufts.edu
- 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, 5. Τερψιχόρη 92
  
  ὑμεῖς ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἰσοκρατίας καταλύοντες τυραννίδας ἐς τὰς πόλις κατάγειν παρασκευάζεσθε, τοῦ οὔτε ἀδικώτερον ἐστὶ οὐδὲν κατ’ ἀνθρώπους οὔτε μιαιφονώτερον.
  humeîs ô Lakedaimónioi isokratías katalúontes turannídas es tàs pólis katágein paraskeuázesthe, toû oúte adikṓteron estì oudèn kat’ anthrṓpous oúte miaiphonṓteron.
  you, Lacedaemonians, are destroying the rule of equals and making ready to bring back tyranny into the cities, tyranny, a thing more unrighteous and bloodthirsty than anything else on this earth.
  
  English translation (1920) by A. D. Godley @perseus.tufts.edu
- 431 BCE, Euripides, Medea 266:
  ὅταν δ’ ἐς εὐνὴν ἠδικημένη κυρῇ,
  οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη φρὴν μιαιφονωτέρα.
  hótan d’ es eunḕn ēdikēménē kurêi,
  ouk éstin állē phrḕn miaiphonōtéra.
  but when she is injured in love,
  no mind is more murderous than hers.
  
  English translation by David Kovacs @perseus.tufts.edu

Inflection

Second declension of μῐαιφόνος; μῐαιφόνον (Attic)

Number	Singular		Dual		Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter	Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	μῐαιφόνος miaiphónos	μῐαιφόνον miaiphónon	μῐαιφόνω miaiphónō	μῐαιφόνω miaiphónō	μῐαιφόνοι miaiphónoi	μῐαιφόνᾰ miaiphóna
Genitive	μῐαιφόνου miaiphónou	μῐαιφόνου miaiphónou	μῐαιφόνοιν miaiphónoin	μῐαιφόνοιν miaiphónoin	μῐαιφόνων miaiphónōn	μῐαιφόνων miaiphónōn
Dative	μῐαιφόνῳ miaiphónōi	μῐαιφόνῳ miaiphónōi	μῐαιφόνοιν miaiphónoin	μῐαιφόνοιν miaiphónoin	μῐαιφόνοις miaiphónois	μῐαιφόνοις miaiphónois
Accusative	μῐαιφόνον miaiphónon	μῐαιφόνον miaiphónon	μῐαιφόνω miaiphónō	μῐαιφόνω miaiphónō	μῐαιφόνους miaiphónous	μῐαιφόνᾰ miaiphóna
Vocative	μῐαιφόνε miaiphóne	μῐαιφόνον miaiphónon	μῐαιφόνω miaiphónō	μῐαιφόνω miaiphónō	μῐαιφόνοι miaiphónoi	μῐαιφόνᾰ miaiphóna
Derived forms	Adverb		Comparative		Superlative
Derived forms	μῐαιφόνως miaiphónōs		μῐαιφονώτερος miaiphonṓteros		μῐαιφονώτᾰτος miaiphonṓtatos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

Further reading