-ιος

See also: ιός, Ίος, and ἰός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Derived from Proto-Indo-European *-yós.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /i.os/ → /i.os/ → /i.os/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /i.os/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /i.os/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /i.os/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /i.os/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /i.os/

Suffix

-ῐος • (-ios) m (feminine -ῐ́ᾱ, neuter -ῐον); first/second declension

1. Suffix added to nouns or adjectives, forming adjectives: pertaining to, belonging to ("of").
   1. Often added to a combination of preposition and noun (parasynthesis)

      ἀπό-γε-ιος

      apó-ge-ios

      far from earth (adj.)

Inflection

First and second declension of -ῐος; -ῐᾱ; -ῐον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-ῐος -ios	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐοι -ioi	-ῐαι -iai	-ῐᾰ -ia
Genitive		-ῐου -iou	-ῐᾱς -iās	-ῐου -iou		-ῐοιν -ioin	-ῐαιν -iain	-ῐοιν -ioin		-ῐων -iōn	-ῐων -iōn	-ῐων -iōn
Dative		-ῐῳ -iōi	-ῐᾳ -iāi	-ῐῳ -iōi		-ῐοιν -ioin	-ῐαιν -iain	-ῐοιν -ioin		-ῐοις -iois	-ῐαις -iais	-ῐοις -iois
Accusative		-ῐον -ion	-ῐᾱν -iān	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐους -ious	-ῐᾱς -iās	-ῐᾰ -ia
Vocative		-ῐε -ie	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐοι -ioi	-ῐαι -iai	-ῐᾰ -ia
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-ῐως -iōs				-ῐώτερος -iṓteros				-ῐώτᾰτος -iṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and second declension of -ῐος; -ῐη; -ῐον (Epic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-ῐος -ios	-ῐη -iē	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐοι -ioi	-ῐαι -iai	-ῐᾰ -ia
Genitive		-ῐου / -ῐοῖο / -ῐοιο / -ῐόο / -ῐοο -iou / -ioîo / -ioio / -ióo / -ioo	-ῐης -iēs	-ῐου / -ῐοῖο / -ῐοιο / -ῐόο / -ῐοο -iou / -ioîo / -ioio / -ióo / -ioo		-ῐοιῐν -ioiin	-ῐαιν / -ῐαιῐν / -ῐῃῐν -iai(i)n / -iēiin	-ῐοιῐν -ioiin		-ῐων -iōn	-ῐᾱ́ων / -ῐέ͜ων / -ῐῶν -iā́ōn / -ié͜ōn / -iôn	-ῐων -iōn
Dative		-ῐῳ -iōi	-ῐῃ -iēi	-ῐῳ -iōi		-ῐοιῐν -ioiin	-ῐαιν / -ῐαιῐν / -ῐῃῐν -iai(i)n / -iēiin	-ῐοιῐν -ioiin		-ῐοισῐ / -ῐοισῐν / -ῐοις -ioisi(n) / -iois	-ῐῃσῐ / -ῐῃσῐν / -ῐῃς / -ῐαις -iēisi(n) / -iēis / -iais	-ῐοισῐ / -ῐοισῐν / -ῐοις -ioisi(n) / -iois
Accusative		-ῐον -ion	-ῐην -iēn	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐους -ious	-ῐᾱς -iās	-ῐᾰ -ia
Vocative		-ῐε -ie	-ῐη -iē	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐοι -ioi	-ῐαι -iai	-ῐᾰ -ia
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-ῐως -iōs				-ῐώτερος -iṓteros				-ῐώτᾰτος -iṓtatos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

First and second declension of -ῐος; -ῐη; -ῐον (Ionic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-ῐος -ios	-ῐη -iē	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐοι -ioi	-ῐαι -iai	-ῐᾰ -ia
Genitive		-ῐου -iou	-ῐης -iēs	-ῐου -iou		-ῐοιν -ioin	-ῐαιν -iain	-ῐοιν -ioin		-ῐων -iōn	-ῐέων / -ῐῶν -iéōn / -iôn	-ῐων -iōn
Dative		-ῐῳ -iōi	-ῐῃ -iēi	-ῐῳ -iōi		-ῐοιν -ioin	-ῐαιν -iain	-ῐοιν -ioin		-ῐοισῐ / -ῐοισῐν / -ῐοις -ioisi(n) / -iois	-ῐῃσῐ / -ῐῃσῐν -iēisi(n)	-ῐοισῐ / -ῐοισῐν / -ῐοις -ioisi(n) / -iois
Accusative		-ῐον -ion	-ῐην -iēn	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐους -ious	-ῐᾱς -iās	-ῐᾰ -ia
Vocative		-ῐε -ie	-ῐη -iē	-ῐον -ion		-ῐω -iō	-ῐᾱ -iā	-ῐω -iō		-ῐοι -ioi	-ῐαι -iai	-ῐᾰ -ia
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-ῐως -iōs				-ῐώτερος -iṓteros				-ῐώτᾰτος -iṓtatos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

Ancient Greek terms suffixed with -ιος

• -ιον (diminutives and nominalized adjectives)

Descendants

• Greek: -ιος (-ios)

References

• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 858.2

Greek

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ios). Found in inherited words, and compositions of formal words.

Pronunciation

for older or formal words:

• IPA^(key): /i.os/
• Hyphenation: ι‧ος

Suffix

-ιος • (-ios) m (feminine -ια, neuter -ιο)

1. Used to form nouns and adjectives indicating origin:

   ‎Κύπρος (Kýpros, “Cyprus”) + ‎-ιος (-ios) → ‎Κύπριος (Kýprios, “Cypriot”) (noun, demonym)

   Related term: -αίος (-aíos) for demonyms

   ‎θάλασσα (thálassa, “sea”) + ‎-ιος (-ios) → ‎θαλάσσιος (thalássios, “marine”) (adjective)

   ‎αιώνας (aiónas, “century”) + ‎-ιος (-ios) → ‎αιώνιος (aiónios, “eternal”) (adjective)

Declension

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	-ιος (-ios)	-ια (-ia) -ία (-ía)	-ιο (-io)		-ιοι (-ioi)	-ιες (-ies)	-ια (-ia)
genitive	-ιου (-iou) -ίου (-íou)	-ιας (-ias) -ίας (-ías)	-ιου (-iou) -ίου (-íou)		-ιων (-ion) -ίων (-íon)	-ιων (-ion) -ίων (-íon)	-ιων (-ion) -ίων (-íon)
accusative	-ιο (-io)	-ια (-ia) -ία (-ía)	-ιο (-io)		-ιους (-ious) -ίους (-íous)	-ιες (-ies)	-ια (-ia)
vocative	-ιε (-ie)	-ια (-ia) -ία (-ía)	-ιο (-io)		-ιοι (-ioi)	-ιες (-ies)	-ια (-ia)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο -ιος, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο -ιος, etc.)

Etymology 2

Modern formations of derivatives from verbs or adjectives + -ιος (-ios)

Pronunciation

in one syllable:

• IPA^(key): /i̯os/ with palatal variants /ʝos, ʎos, ços, ɲos/ depending on the preceding consonant
• Hyphenation: ιος

Suffix

-ιος • (-ios) m (feminine -ια, neuter -ιο)

1. Used to form adjectives indicating property, characteristic of the prototype word:

   ‎σαπίζω (sapízo, “I rot”) + ‎-ιος (-ios) → ‎σάπιος (sápios, “rotten”) /ˈsapços/ (from verb)

   ‎καθαρός (katharós, “clean”) + ‎-ιος (-ios) → ‎καθάριος (kathários, “clear”) /kaˈθaɾʝos/ (from adjective)

Declension

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	-ιος (-ios)	-ια (-ia)	-ιο (-io)		-ιοι (-ioi)	-ιες (-ies)	-ια (-ia)
genitive	-ιου (-iou)	-ιας (-ias)	-ιου (-iou)		-ιων (-ion)	-ιων (-ion)	-ιων (-ion)
accusative	-ιο (-io)	-ια (-ia)	-ιο (-io)		-ιους (-ious)	-ιες (-ies)	-ια (-ia)
vocative	-ιε (-ie)	-ια (-ia)	-ιο (-io)		-ιοι (-ioi)	-ιες (-ies)	-ια (-ia)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο -ιος, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο -ιος, etc.)

Related terms

• -ειος (-eios)

Derived terms

Greek terms suffixed with -ιος

Related terms

• -ιός (-iós)

Further reading

• "-ιος", in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language