σαρδάνιος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

σαρδόνιος (sardónios)

Etymology

Uncertain, but since antiquity it is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (Ranunculus sardous), known as either σαρδάνη (sardánē) or σαρδόνιον (sardónion). When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death).

It has also been compared with σέσηρα (sésēra, “to show teeth”) and σαίρω (saírō, “to grin”).

Alternatively, Kretschmer tried to connect this word to the name of the Šardana people living near Egypt, although the details remain unclear.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sar.dá.ni.os/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /sarˈda.ni.os/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/

Adjective

σαρδάνῐος • (sardánios) m (feminine σαρδᾰνίᾱ, neuter σαρδάνῐον); first/second declension

(of laughter or smiles) scornful, bitter, grim

Inflection

First and second declension of σαρδάνῐος; σαρδανῐ́ᾱ; σαρδάνῐον (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	σαρδάνῐος sardánios	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδάνῐον sardánion	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδάνῐοι sardánioi	σαρδάνῐαι sardániai	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia
Genitive	σαρδανῐ́ου sardaníou	σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardaníās	σαρδανῐ́ου sardaníou	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin	σαρδανῐ́αιν sardaníain	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin	σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn	σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn	σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn
Dative	σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardaníōi	σαρδανῐ́ᾳ sardaníāi	σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardaníōi	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin	σαρδανῐ́αιν sardaníain	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin	σαρδανῐ́οις sardaníois	σαρδανῐ́αις sardaníais	σαρδανῐ́οις sardaníois
Accusative	σαρδάνῐον sardánion	σαρδανῐ́ᾱν sardaníān	σαρδάνῐον sardánion	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ους sardaníous	σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardaníās	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia
Vocative	σαρδάνῐε sardánie	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδάνῐον sardánion	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδάνῐοι sardánioi	σαρδάνῐαι sardániai	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	σαρδανῐ́ως sardaníōs			σαρδανῐώτερος sardaniṓteros			σαρδανῐώτᾰτος sardaniṓtatos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

Greek: σαρδόνιος (sardónios)