ξανθός

See also: Ξάνθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. There are at least two possibilities:

Derived from Proto-Indo-European, through augmented *ḱsendʰ-, from root *ḱas- (“white, blond, grey”). If this is correct, then this word is akin to Latin cānus (“white”), from Proto-Italic *kaznos;
Of Pre-Greek origin, according to Beekes, which deems the comparison with Latin as gratuitous. Compare also Ancient Greek ξουθός (xouthós, “golden yellow”).

Moreover, the often asserted connection with Etruscan 𐌆𐌀𐌌𐌈𐌉𐌂 (zamθic, “golden”) is probably spurious.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ksan.tʰós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ksanˈtʰos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/

Adjective

ξᾰνθός • (xănthós) m (feminine ξᾰνθή, neuter ξᾰνθόν); first/second declension

yellow (of various shades), golden
fair, blond, flaxen, tawny, a golden-red fawn (of hair)
- 630 BCE – 570 BCE, Sappho, Papyrus Fragments 23:
  ξάνθαι δ’ Ἐλέναι σ’ ἐίσ[κ]ην
  οὖδεν ἄεικες
  xánthai d’ Elénai s’ eís[k]ēn
  oûden áeikes
  Comparing you to golden Helen
  is not at all inappropriate

Inflection

First and second declension of ξᾰνθός; ξᾰνθή; ξᾰνθόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ξᾰνθός xănthós	ξᾰνθή xănthḗ	ξᾰνθόν xănthón	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xănthā́	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθοί xănthoí	ξᾰνθαί xănthaí	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xănthắ
Genitive	ξᾰνθοῦ xănthoû	ξᾰνθῆς xănthês	ξᾰνθοῦ xănthoû	ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn	ξᾰνθαῖν xănthaîn	ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn	ξᾰνθῶν xănthôn	ξᾰνθῶν xănthôn	ξᾰνθῶν xănthôn
Dative	ξᾰνθῷ xănthôi	ξᾰνθῇ xănthêi	ξᾰνθῷ xănthôi	ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn	ξᾰνθαῖν xănthaîn	ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn	ξᾰνθοῖς xănthoîs	ξᾰνθαῖς xănthaîs	ξᾰνθοῖς xănthoîs
Accusative	ξᾰνθόν xănthón	ξᾰνθήν xănthḗn	ξᾰνθόν xănthón	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xănthā́	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθούς xănthoús	ξᾰνθᾱ́ς xănthā́s	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xănthắ
Vocative	ξᾰνθέ xănthé	ξᾰνθή xănthḗ	ξᾰνθόν xănthón	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xănthā́	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθοί xănthoí	ξᾰνθαί xănthaí	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xănthắ
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ξᾰνθῶς xănthôs			ξᾰνθότερος xănthóteros			ξᾰνθότᾰτος xănthótătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἐρυθρόξανθος (eruthróxanthos)
ξάνθη (xánthē)
Ξανθίας (Xanthías)
ξανθίζω (xanthízō)
ξάνθιον (xánthion)
ξάνθισις (xánthisis)
ξάνθισμα (xánthisma)
ξανθισμός (xanthismós)
ξανθόγεως (xanthógeōs)
ξανθοδερκής (xanthoderkḗs)
ξανθοειδής (xanthoeidḗs)
ξάνθοθριξ (xánthothrix)
ξανθοκάρηνος (xanthokárēnos)
ξανθοκάρυον (xanthokáruon)
ξανθοκόμης (xanthokómēs)
ξανθόλευκος (xanthóleukos)
ξανθόλοφος (xanthólophos)
ξανθομήλινος (xanthomḗlinos)
Ξᾰ́νθος (Xắnthos)
ξανθότης (xanthótēs)
ξανθοφαής (xanthophaḗs)
ξανθοφυής (xanthophuḗs)
ξανθοχίτων (xanthokhítōn)
ξανθόχλοος (xanthókhloos)
ξανθόχολος (xanthókholos)
ξανθόχροος (xanthókhroos)
ξανθόω (xanthóō)
ξανθωπός (xanthōpós)
ξάνθωσις (xánthōsis)
πυρρόξανθος (purrhóxanthos)

Descendants

Greek: ξανθός (xanthós)

References

“ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“ξανθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
ξανθός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
ξανθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
“ξανθός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- auburn idem, page 52.
- blonde idem, page 84.
- brown idem, page 101.
- buff idem, page 102.
- flaxen idem, page 327.
- golden idem, page 366.
- orange idem, page 578.
- russet idem, page 728.
- sandy idem, page 733.
- tawny idem, page 857.
- yellow idem, page 995.
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, page 1033

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós).

Adjective

ξανθός • (xanthós) m (feminine ξανθή or ξανθιά, neuter ξανθό)

blonde, blond, fair, flaxen, tawny
ξανθά μαλλιά, όπως το μέλι ― xanthá malliá, ópos to méli ― blonde hair like honey
golden
ξανθό στάχυ ― xanthó stáchy ― golden ear (of corn)

Declension

Declension of ξανθός
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ξανθός (xanthós)	ξανθή (xanthí) ξανθιά (xanthiá)	ξανθό (xanthó)	ξανθοί (xanthoí)	ξανθές (xanthés)	ξανθά (xanthá)
genitive	ξανθού (xanthoú)	ξανθής (xanthís) ξανθιάς (xanthiás)	ξανθού (xanthoú)	ξανθών (xanthón)	ξανθών (xanthón)	ξανθών (xanthón)
accusative	ξανθό (xanthó)	ξανθή (xanthí) ξανθιά (xanthiá)	ξανθό (xanthó)	ξανθούς (xanthoús)	ξανθές (xanthés)	ξανθά (xanthá)
vocative	ξανθέ (xanthé)	ξανθή (xanthí) ξανθιά (xanthiá)	ξανθό (xanthó)	ξανθοί (xanthoí)	ξανθές (xanthés)	ξανθά (xanthá)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο ξανθός, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο ξανθός, etc.)

Derived terms

ξανθή σταφίδα f (xanthí stafída, “sultana, golden raisin”)

λευκός (leukós)	γλαυκός (glaukós), κῐλλός (kĭllós), πολῐός (polĭós), φαιός (phaiós), χαροπός (kharopós)	ᾰ̓μαυρός (ămaurós), κελαινός (kelainós), μαυρός (maurós), μέλᾱς (mélās)
ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós); κᾰρῡ́κῐνος (kărū́kĭnos), κόκκῐνος (kókkĭnos), φοινός (phoinós)	πυρρός (purrhós); ὄρφνῐνος (órphnĭnos)	μήλινος (mḗlinos), ξᾰνθός (xănthós); ὠχρός (ōkhrós)
πρᾰ́σῐνος (prắsĭnos)	χλωρός (khlōrós)	χλωρός (khlōrós); χλωρομέλᾱς (khlōromélās)
κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos); γλαυκός (glaukós), κᾰλάϊνος (kăláïnos)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos), ὑᾰκῐ́νθῐνος (huăkĭ́nthĭnos)
ἰόεις (ióeis), φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (hălourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos), οἶνοψ (oînops)	φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (hălourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos)	ῥόδινος (rhódinos), ῥοδόεις (rhodóeis)