ἀμάνδαλος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

According to Herodian, it is a byform of unattested *ἀμάλδανος (*amáldanos), itself from ἀμαλδύνω (amaldúnō, “to soften, mitigate”). However, this is rather uncertain. Lewy proposes a derivation from ἀ- (a-) +‎ μάνδαλος (mándalos, “bolt”), suggesting a meaning that shifted from "locked", "bolted" to "invisible", "unseen".

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.mán.da.los/ → /aˈman.da.los/ → /aˈman.da.los/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.mán.da.los/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈman.da.los/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈman.da.los/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈman.da.los/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈman.da.los/

Adjective

ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλος • (amándalos) m or f (neuter ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλον); second declension

1. unseen, obscure

   Synonym: ἀφανής (aphanḗs)

Declension

Second declension of ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλος; ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλον (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλος amándalos	ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλον amándalon		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λω amandálō	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λω amandálō		ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλοι amándaloi	ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλᾰ amándala
Genitive		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λου amandálou	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λου amandálou		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λοιν amandáloin	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λοιν amandáloin		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λων amandálōn	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λων amandálōn
Dative		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λῳ amandálōi	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λῳ amandálōi		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λοιν amandáloin	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λοιν amandáloin		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λοις amandálois	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λοις amandálois
Accusative		ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλον amándalon	ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλον amándalon		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λω amandálō	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λω amandálō		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λους amandálous	ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλᾰ amándala
Vocative		ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλε amándale	ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλον amándalon		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λω amandálō	ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λω amandálō		ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλοι amándaloi	ἀμᾰ́νδᾰλᾰ amándala
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		ἀμᾰνδᾰ́λως amandálōs			ἀμᾰνδᾰλώτερος amandalṓteros			ἀμᾰνδᾰλώτᾰτος amandalṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Further reading

• “ἀμάνδαλος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ἀμάνδαλος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• 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
• Lewy, Heinrich (1895) Die semitischen Fremdwörter im Griechischen (in German), Berlin: R. Gaertner’s Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 114