θνῄσκω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

  • θναίσκω (thnaískō) Aeolic
  • θνᾴσκω (thnā́iskō) Doric
  • θνήσκω (thnḗskō)

Etymology

  • Traditionally compared to Sanskrit अध्वनीत् (á-dhvanī-t, he disappeared), ध्वान्त (dhvān-tá-, dark), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwenh₂- (to die). However, Beekes doubts this, on the basis of the zero-grade forms, which would then be *θυνεῖν, *θύνατος.
  • LIV² reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *dʰn̥h₂-sḱé-, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- (to set oneself in motion, to take off), comparing the word with Sanskrit धन्वति (dhánvati, to flow), Tocharian A tsnāntär (to flow), but the semantic connection is weak.
  • Others refer to Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰn̥h₂-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- (to kill), from which come θείνω (theínō, slay), φόνος (phónos, murder), and φᾰτός (phatós, slain).

In any case, the second part is the inchoative suffix -σκω (-skō).

Pronunciation

 

Verb

θνῄσκω (thnḗiskō)

  1. I die; (aorist and perfect) I am dead
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 7.52
      οὐ γάρ πώ τοι μοῖρα θανεῖν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν
      ou gár pṓ toi moîra thaneîn kaì pótmon epispeîn
      Nor yet is it thy fate to die and meet thy doom.
  2. (serves as passive of κτείνω (kteínō, kill)) to be killed
    • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 15.289
      ἦ θήν μιν μάλα ἔλπετο θῡμὸς ἑκάστου
      χερσὶν ὑπ᾽ Αἴαντος θανέειν Τελαμωνιάδᾱο.
      ê thḗn min mála élpeto thūmòs hekástou
      khersìn hup᾽ Aíantos thanéein Telamōniádāo.
      Truly the heart of every one [of us] really hoped that [Hector] had been killed at the hands of Ajax son of Telamon.

Usage notes

In the present, the aorist and the future, the compound form ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnḗiskō) is often substituted.

Inflection

Derived terms

References

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