σφιγκτήρ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From σφῐ́γγω (sphíngō, “to bind tight or fast”) +‎ -τήρ (-tḗr, agent noun suffix).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /spʰiŋk.tɛ̌ːr/ → /sɸiŋɡˈtir/ → /sfiŋɡˈtir/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spʰiŋk.tɛ̌ːr/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /spʰiŋkˈte̝r/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sɸiŋɡˈtir/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sfiŋɡˈtir/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sfiŋɡˈtir/

Noun

σφῐγκτήρ • (sphinktḗr) m (genitive σφῐγκτῆρος); third declension

1. That which binds tight; a lace, band.
2. (anatomy) A muscle closing an orifice which naturally remains in the state of contraction; a sphincter.
3. A Tarentine chiton, probably because it is laced tight to the body.

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ σφῐγκτήρ; τοῦ σφῐγκτῆρος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σφῐγκτήρ ho sphinktḗr	τὼ σφῐγκτῆρε tṑ sphinktêre	οἱ σφῐγκτῆρες hoi sphinktêres
Genitive	τοῦ σφῐγκτῆρος toû sphinktêros	τοῖν σφῐγκτήροιν toîn sphinktḗroin	τῶν σφῐγκτήρων tôn sphinktḗrōn
Dative	τῷ σφῐγκτῆρῐ tôi sphinktêri	τοῖν σφῐγκτήροιν toîn sphinktḗroin	τοῖς σφῐγκτῆρσῐ / σφῐγκτῆρσῐν toîs sphinktêrsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν σφῐγκτῆρᾰ tòn sphinktêra	τὼ σφῐγκτῆρε tṑ sphinktêre	τοὺς σφῐγκτῆρᾰς toùs sphinktêras
Vocative	σφῐγκτήρ sphinktḗr	σφῐγκτῆρε sphinktêre	σφῐγκτῆρες sphinktêres
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• → Greek: σφιγκτήρας (sfigktíras)
• Latin: spintēr
• → Late Latin: sphinctēr
  • → English: sphincter
  • → French: sphincter
• Latin: spintria

References

• “σφιγκτήρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “σφιγκτήρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• σφιγκτήρ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette