-εις

See also: Appendix:Variations of "εις"

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• -ϝεις (-weis)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-wénts. See Latin -ōsus.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /eːs/ → /is/ → /is/

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

Suffix

-εις • (-eis) m (feminine -εσσᾰ, neuter -εν); first/third declension

1. -ful

Inflection

First and third declension of -εις; -εσσᾰ; -εν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-εις -eis	-εσσᾰ -essa	-εν -en		-εντε -ente	-εσσᾱ -essā	-εντε -ente		-εντες -entes	-εσσαι -essai	-εντᾰ -enta
Genitive		-εντος -entos	-εσσης -essēs	-εντος -entos		-εντοιν -entoin	-εσσαιν -essain	-εντοιν -entoin		-εντων -entōn	-εσσῶν -essôn	-εντων -entōn
Dative		-εντῐ -enti	-εσσῃ -essēi	-εντῐ -enti		-εντοιν -entoin	-εσσαιν -essain	-εντοιν -entoin		-εισῐ / -εισῐν -eisi(n)	-εσσαις -essais	-εισῐ / -εισῐν -eisi(n)
Accusative		-εντᾰ -enta	-εσσᾰν -essan	-εν -en		-εντε -ente	-εσσᾱ -essā	-εντε -ente		-εντᾰς -entas	-εσσᾱς -essās	-εντᾰ -enta
Vocative		-εν -en	-εσσᾰ -essa	-εν -en		-εντε -ente	-εσσᾱ -essā	-εντε -ente		-εντες -entes	-εσσαι -essai	-εντᾰ -enta
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-εντως -entōs				-έστερος -ésteros				-έστᾰτος -éstatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Words taking this suffix have paroxytone accent, thus χᾰρῐ́εν (kharíen), not **χᾰ́ρῐεν.

Derived terms

Ancient Greek terms suffixed with -εις

• Many island names are formed with the feminine form, lengthened with -o- and contracted, -οῦσσα or -οῦσα:
  • Πιθηκοῦσσαι or Πιθηκοῦσαι, derived from πίθηκος
  • Οἰνοῦσσαι (latin Oenussae), from οἶνος
  • Αἴγουσσαι (latin Aegusae), from αἴξ
  • Ἀργινοῦσσαι or Ἀργινοῦσαι, related to ἀργής
  • Ὀφιοῦσσα (latin Ophiussa), from ὄφις
  • Πιτυοῦσσαι (latin Pityusae), from πίτυς
  • Ἰχνοῦσσα (latin Ichnusa), from ἴχνος?
  • Ἐλαιοῦσσα, from ἐλαία
  • Φοινικοῦσσα (latin Phoenicusa), from φοῖνιξ
  • Δρυμοῦσσα (latin Drymusa), from δρῦς
  • Φωκοῦσσαι, from φώκη
  • Σχοινοῦσσα, from σχοῖνος
  • Ἀνθεμοῦσσα, related to Ἀνθεμοῦς
  • Σειρηνοῦσσαι, from Σειρήν
  • Μηλοῦσσα, from μῆλον
  • Κρομυοῦσσα, from κρόμυον or κρόμμυον

References

• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 858.3
• García Alonso, J. L (2010), Ancient Greek Names in -oussa in the West of the Mediterranean