ἀσάμινθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

The -ινθος points according to Beekes to Pre-Greek, like in καλαμίνθη (kalamínthē), ἀψίνθιον (apsínthion) etc. However even if that generally is so the suffix form is probably secondary and the word renders Akkadian 𒉏𒋛𒂊𒌈 (nim-se-e-tum /⁠namasittu, namasītu, nemesētu⁠/, “bathtub”), alternatively 𒄀𒃻𒇒𒊏 (GI.NIG₂.ESIR₂.RA /⁠namsû⁠/, “wash-bowl”) with the suffix later appended, with metathesis -amas- to -asam- and rebracketing the original ν (n) as from the Greek article.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.sá.min.tʰos/ → /aˈsa.min.θos/ → /aˈsa.min.θos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.sá.min.tʰos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈsa.min.tʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈsa.min.θos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈsa.min.θos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈsa.min.θos/

Noun

ἀσάμινθος • (asáminthos) f (genitive ἀσαμίνθου); second declension

1. bathtub

   Synonyms: λουτήρ (loutḗr), πύελος (púelos)

Declension

Second declension of ἡ ἀσάμινθος; τῆς ἀσαμίνθου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ἀσάμινθος hē asáminthos	τὼ ἀσαμίνθω tṑ asamínthō	αἱ ἀσάμινθοι hai asáminthoi
Genitive	τῆς ἀσαμίνθου tês asamínthou	τοῖν ἀσαμίνθοιν toîn asamínthoin	τῶν ἀσαμίνθων tôn asamínthōn
Dative	τῇ ἀσαμίνθῳ têi asamínthōi	τοῖν ἀσαμίνθοιν toîn asamínthoin	ταῖς ἀσαμίνθοις taîs asamínthois
Accusative	τὴν ἀσάμινθον tḕn asáminthon	τὼ ἀσαμίνθω tṑ asamínthō	τᾱ̀ς ἀσαμίνθους tā̀s asamínthous
Vocative	ἀσάμινθε asáminthe	ἀσαμίνθω asamínthō	ἀσάμινθοι asáminthoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Further reading

• “ἀσάμινθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀσάμινθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀσάμινθος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀσάμινθος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀσάμινθος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἀσάμινθος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
• Reece, Steve (2009) “The Homeric and Mycenaean Bath ἀσάμινθος / νἀσάμινθος”, in Homer's Winged Words: The Evolution of Early Greek Epic Diction in the Light of Oral Theory, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 276
• Szemerényi, Oswald (1971) “Pierre Chantraine: Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: Histoire des mots”, in Gnomon, volume 43, →DOI, page 657
• Szemerényi, Oswald (1974) “The origins of the Greek lexicon: Ex Oriente Lux”, in The Journal of Hellenic Studies‎^[1], volume 94, →DOI, page 149