ἑλένη

See also: Ἑλένη and Ελένη

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally connected to εἰλέω (eiléō, “to turn, wind”), which can account for the meaning "torch". However, Beekes suggests a Pre-Greek origin, in view of the similar word ἑλάνη (helánē, “reed bundle”) and the suffix -ένη.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /he.lé.nɛː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)eˈle.ne̝/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /eˈle.ni/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /eˈle.ni/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /eˈle.ni/

Noun

ἑλένη • (helénē) f (genitive ἑλένης); first declension

torch, firebrand
Synonyms: γρᾰ́βῐον (grắbĭon), γρῡνός (grūnós), δᾰΐς (dăḯs), δᾰ́ος (dắos), λᾰμπᾰ́ς (lămpắs), λοφνῐ́ς (lophnĭ́s), πᾱνός (pānós), πῠρσός (pŭrsós), φᾰνή (phănḗ), φρῠκτός (phrŭktós)
corposant, St. Elmo's fire
wicker-basket, used to carry the sacred utensils of Artemis

Inflection

First declension of ἡ ἑλένη; τῆς ἑλένης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ἑλένη hē helénē	τὼ ἑλένᾱ tṑ helénā	αἱ ἑλέναι hai helénai
Genitive	τῆς ἑλένης tês helénēs	τοῖν ἑλέναιν toîn helénain	τῶν ἑλενῶν tôn helenôn
Dative	τῇ ἑλένῃ têi helénēi	τοῖν ἑλέναιν toîn helénain	ταῖς ἑλέναις taîs helénais
Accusative	τὴν ἑλένην tḕn helénēn	τὼ ἑλένᾱ tṑ helénā	τᾱ̀ς ἑλένᾱς tā̀s helénās
Vocative	ἑλένη helénē	ἑλένᾱ helénā	ἑλέναι helénai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

Ἑλενηφόρῐᾰ (Helenēphórĭă)

“ἑλένη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
ἑλένη in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
ἑλένη in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἑλάνη”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 401