ἕρμα

See also: έρμα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *wérhmə, of disputed origin:

• Perhaps related to εἴρω (eírō, “I string together”) +‎ -μᾰ (-ma).
• Alternatively, cognate with Sanskrit वर्ष्मन् (varṣman, “protrusion, summit, peak, top, vertex”), from Proto-Indo-European *wérsmn̥ (“protrusion, bump, hill, summit, peak, top”) and, via the root *wers- (“to rise, protrude; peak”), Lithuanian viršus (“top”), Old Church Slavonic врьхъ (vrĭxŭ, “top, peak”), and probably Proto-Germanic *wartǭ (“wart”). Though, the Mycenaean Greek cognate 𐀁𐀔𐀲 (e-ma-ta /⁠*hérmata⁠/, “straps, pl.”) lacks the expected initial */w/.
• A conflation of these two.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /hér.ma/ → /ˈer.ma/ → /ˈer.ma/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hér.ma/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)er.ma/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈer.ma/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈer.ma/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈer.ma/

Noun

ἕρμᾰ • (hérma) n (genitive ἕρμᾰτος); third declension

1. (a stabilizing entity): prop, support, foundation, stay (of a ship), ballast
2. defense, cause
3. reef, rock
4. hill
5. heap of stones, cairn
6. pendant of the ear, earring
7. band, noose, coils

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ ἕρμᾰ; τοῦ ἕρμᾰτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ἕρμᾰ tò hérma	τὼ ἕρμᾰτε tṑ hérmate	τᾰ̀ ἕρμᾰτᾰ tà hérmata
Genitive	τοῦ ἕρμᾰτος toû hérmatos	τοῖν ἑρμᾰ́τοιν toîn hermátoin	τῶν ἑρμᾰ́των tôn hermátōn
Dative	τῷ ἕρμᾰτῐ tôi hérmati	τοῖν ἑρμᾰ́τοιν toîn hermátoin	τοῖς ἕρμᾰσῐ / ἕρμᾰσῐν toîs hérmasi(n)
Accusative	τὸ ἕρμᾰ tò hérma	τὼ ἕρμᾰτε tṑ hérmate	τᾰ̀ ἕρμᾰτᾰ tà hérmata
Vocative	ἕρμᾰ hérma	ἕρμᾰτε hérmate	ἕρμᾰτᾰ hérmata
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• Ἑρμαγόρας (Hermagóras)
• ἕρμᾰξ (hérmax)
• Ἕρμαρχος (Hérmarkhos)
• Ἑρμῆς (Hermês)
• Ἑρμογένης (Hermogénēs)

 

See also

• 𐀁𐀔𐀲 (e-ma-ta)

References

• “ἕρμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἕρμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἕρμα”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἕρμα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἕρμα in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • ballast idem, page 60.
  • reef idem, page 684.
  • ridge idem, page 713.
  • sunken idem, page 838.