ῥοδοδάκτυλος

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 8 June 2016

Alternative forms

• βροδοδάκτυλος (brododáktulos) — Aeolic

Etymology

From ῥόδον (rhódon, “rose”) +‎ δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “finger”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /r̥o.do.dák.ty.los/ → /ro.ðoˈðak.ty.los/ → /ro.ðoˈðak.ti.los/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /r̥o.do.dák.ty.los/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ro.doˈdak.ty.los/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ro.ðoˈðak.ty.los/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ro.ðoˈðak.ty.los/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ro.ðoˈðak.ti.los/

Adjective

ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλος • (rhododắktŭlos) m or f (neuter ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλον); second declension (chiefly Epic)

1. rosy-fingered
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 23.241:

     καί νύ κ’ ὀδυρομένοισι φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,

     kaí nú k’ oduroménoisi phánē rhododáktulos Ēṓs,

     And now rosy-fingered Dawn appeared to them as they lamented.

   • 500 BCE – 400 BCE, Bacchylides, Collected Works 19.18
   • 491 CE – 518 CE, Coluthus, Rape of Helen 99

Usage notes

In the Iliad and Odyssey, the word only appears as an epithet of Dawn, in the phrase ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς (rhododáktulos Ēṓs, “rosy-fingered Dawn”) at the end of a poetic line, and most frequently in the following line, which is repeated once in the Iliad and many times in the Odyssey to introduce new days in the story (for a full list of occurrences, see the citations page):

800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.477:

ἦμος δ’ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς

êmos d’ ērigéneia phánē rhododáktulos Ēṓs

When rosy-fingered Dawn appeared early-born

Inflection

Second declension of ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλος; ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλον (Epic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλος rhododắktŭlos	ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλον rhododắktŭlon		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λω rhododăktŭ́lō	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λω rhododăktŭ́lō		ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλοι rhododắktŭloi	ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλᾰ rhododắktŭlă
Genitive		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λου / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠλοῖο / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοιο / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠλόο / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοο rhododăktŭ́lou / rhododăktŭloîo / rhododăktŭ́loio / rhododăktŭlóo / rhododăktŭ́loo	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λου / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠλοῖο / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοιο / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠλόο / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοο rhododăktŭ́lou / rhododăktŭloîo / rhododăktŭ́loio / rhododăktŭlóo / rhododăktŭ́loo		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοιῐν rhododăktŭ́loiĭn	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοιῐν rhododăktŭ́loiĭn		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λων rhododăktŭ́lōn	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λων rhododăktŭ́lōn
Dative		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λῳ rhododăktŭ́lōi	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λῳ rhododăktŭ́lōi		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοιῐν rhododăktŭ́loiĭn	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοιῐν rhododăktŭ́loiĭn		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοισῐ / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοισῐν / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοις rhododăktŭ́loisĭ(n) / rhododăktŭ́lois	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοισῐ / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοισῐν / ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λοις rhododăktŭ́loisĭ(n) / rhododăktŭ́lois
Accusative		ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλον rhododắktŭlon	ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλον rhododắktŭlon		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λω rhododăktŭ́lō	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λω rhododăktŭ́lō		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λους rhododăktŭ́lous	ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλᾰ rhododắktŭlă
Vocative		ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλε rhododắktŭle	ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλον rhododắktŭlon		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λω rhododăktŭ́lō	ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λω rhododăktŭ́lō		ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλοι rhododắktŭloi	ῥοδοδᾰ́κτῠλᾰ rhododắktŭlă
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		ῥοδοδᾰκτῠ́λως rhododăktŭ́lōs			ῥοδοδᾰκτῠλώτερος rhododăktŭlṓteros			ῥοδοδᾰκτῠλώτᾰτος rhododăktŭlṓtătos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

References

• “ῥοδοδάκτυλος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ῥοδοδάκτυλος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ῥοδοδάκτυλος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ῥοδοδάκτυλος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963