ἑρμηνεύς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Most plausibly assumed from pre-Carian *armān preceding attested Carian 𐊠𐊥𐊪𐊫𐊵 (armon, “interpreter”).^[1]^[2]

Older modern etymologies sometimes incorrectly connect it with εἴρω (eírō) (either sense), Latin sermō, folk etymology often connects it with Ἑρμῆς (Hermês)—influence of this word cannot be excluded.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /her.mɛː.něu̯s/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)er.me̝ˈnews/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /er.miˈneɸs/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /er.miˈnefs/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /er.miˈnefs/

Noun

ἑρμηνεύς • (hermēneús) m (genitive ἑρμηνέως); third declension

interpreter, dragoman, expounder
Synonym: ἑρμηνευτής (hermēneutḗs)
matchmaker
broker, commissionaire

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ ἑρμηνεύς; τοῦ ἑρμηνέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἑρμηνεύς ho hermēneús	τὼ ἑρμηνῆ tṑ hermēnê	οἱ ἑρμηνῆς / ἑρμηνεῖς hoi hermēnês / hermēneîs
Genitive	τοῦ ἑρμηνέως toû hermēnéōs	τοῖν ἑρμηνέοιν toîn hermēnéoin	τῶν ἑρμηνέων tôn hermēnéōn
Dative	τῷ ἑρμηνεῖ tôi hermēneî	τοῖν ἑρμηνέοιν toîn hermēnéoin	τοῖς ἑρμηνεῦσῐ / ἑρμηνεῦσῐν toîs hermēneûsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ἑρμηνέᾱ tòn hermēnéā	τὼ ἑρμηνῆ tṑ hermēnê	τοὺς ἑρμηνέᾱς toùs hermēnéās
Vocative	ἑρμηνεῦ hermēneû	ἑρμηνῆ hermēnê	ἑρμηνῆς / ἑρμηνεῖς hermēnês / hermēneîs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἑρμηνεύω (hermēneúō)
- ἑρμηνείᾱ (hermēneíā)

Descendants

English: hermeneutics

References

^ Simon, Zsolt (2019) “Zu den karisch-griechischen Lehnbeziehungen”, in Glotta‎^[1], volume 95, page 295
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἑρμηνεύς”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 462, where according to his usual scheme, of Anatolian and hence Pre-Greek origin.