βολή

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From βᾰ́λλω (bắllō, “to throw”) +‎ -η (-ē).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /bo.lɛ̌ː/ → /βoˈli/ → /voˈli/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /bo.lɛ̌ː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /boˈle̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βoˈli/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /voˈli/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /voˈli/

Noun

βολή • (bolḗ) f (genitive βολῆς); first declension

1. stroke or wound of a missile
2. a throw or cast of the dice

Usage notes

Compare πληγή (plēgḗ), which is used for wounds by sword or pike.

Declension

First declension of ἡ βολή; τῆς βολῆς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ βολή hē bolḗ	τὼ βολᾱ́ tṑ bolā́	αἱ βολαί hai bolaí
Genitive	τῆς βολῆς tês bolês	τοῖν βολαῖν toîn bolaîn	τῶν βολῶν tôn bolôn
Dative	τῇ βολῇ têi bolêi	τοῖν βολαῖν toîn bolaîn	ταῖς βολαῖς taîs bolaîs
Accusative	τὴν βολήν tḕn bolḗn	τὼ βολᾱ́ tṑ bolā́	τᾱ̀ς βολᾱ́ς tā̀s bolā́s
Vocative	βολή bolḗ	βολᾱ́ bolā́	βολαί bolaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἄβολος (ábolos)

Descendants

• → Greek: βολή (volí) (inherited) (learned)

Further reading

• “βολή”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βολή”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• βολή in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• βολή in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• G1000 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • beam idem, page 66.
  • cast idem, page 116.
  • fling idem, page 328.
  • gleam idem, page 361.
  • glimmer idem, page 362.
  • heave idem, page 393.
  • range idem, page 670.
  • ray idem, page 674.
  • reach idem, page 675.
  • shot idem, page 769.
  • streak idem, page 824.
  • sunbeam idem, page 838.
  • swing idem, page 849.
  • throw idem, page 871.
  • toss idem, page 884.

Greek

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /voˈli/
• Rhymes: -i
• Hyphenation: βο‧λή

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek βολή (bolḗ).

Noun

βολή • (volí) f (plural βολές)

1. shot (the result of launching a projectile or bullet)
2. fire (the bullets or other projectiles fired from a gun or other ranged weapon)
3. (sports) throw
4. range (maximum distance or reach of capability of a projectile)
5. (figuratively) salvo, volley (of invective, accusations, etc.)

Declension

Declension of βολή

	singular	plural
nominative	βολή (volí)	βολές (volés)
genitive	βολής (volís)	βολών (volón)
accusative	βολή (volí)	βολές (volés)
vocative	βολή (volí)	βολές (volés)

Etymology 2

Inherited from Ancient Greek βολή (bolḗ) in the sense 'throw or cast of the dice'.

Noun

βολή • (volí) f (plural βολές)

1. (familiar) convenience, amenity (a thing or circumstance that is welcome and makes life a little easier or more pleasant)

Declension

Declension of βολή

	singular	plural
nominative	βολή (volí)	βολές (volés)
genitive	βολής (volís)	βολών (volón)
accusative	βολή (volí)	βολές (volés)
vocative	βολή (volí)	βολές (volés)