λίθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

  • Uncertain.[1] Has been compared to λεῖος (leîos, smooth), λιτός (litós, simple, plain), Latin laedō (to strike, hurt), Lithuanian slidùs (slippery, slick), Proto-Balto-Slavic *ledús (ice).

    Pronunciation

     

    Noun

    λῐ́θος • (lĭ́thosm or f (genitive λῐ́θου); second declension

    1. a stone
      Synonym: πέτρος (pétros)
    2. stone as a substance
      Synonym: πέτρα (pétra)
    3. stone, pebble (used as as piece in a board-game)
    4. large rock or stone block, used as a seat to a speaker's platform, especially in the Assembly or in the Athenian agora, where archons, arbitrators and certain witnesses swore oaths

    Usage notes

    • Usually a masculine noun, but occasionally treated as feminine. This often (but not always) is used to refer to some special stone, such as a gem or magnet.

    Declension

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • taxonomic name: Lithops
    • Catalan: liti (learned)
    • English: -lite, -lith, lith-, litho-
    • Georgian: ლითონი (litoni)
    • New Latin: lithium (see there for further descendants)

    References

    1. ^ 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

    Further reading

    Greek

    Etymology

    Learnedly, from Ancient Greek λῐ́θος m or f (lĭ́thos).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈli.θos/
    • Hyphenation: λί‧θος

    Noun

    λίθος • (líthosm or f (plural λίθοι)

    1. masculine form:
      1. stone (building material)
        ο θεμέλιος λίθοςo themélios líthosthe foundation stone
      2. (medicine, formal) stone, calculus
      3. (archaeology) Εποχή του Λίθου (Stone Age)
    2. feminine form (in compounds referring to special stones):
      1. λυδία λίθος (touch stone)
      2. φιλοσοφική λίθος (philosopher's stone)

    Declension

    Declension of λίθος
    singular plural
    nominative λίθος (líthos) λίθοι (líthoi)
    genitive λίθου (líthou) λίθων (líthon)
    accusative λίθο (lítho) λίθους (líthous)
    vocative λίθε (líthe) λίθοι (líthoi)

    Synonyms

    Coordinate terms

    Expressions
    • ακρογωνιαίος λίθος m (akrogoniaíos líthos, cornerstone)
    • ημιπολύτιμος λίθος m (imipolýtimos líthos)
    • θεμέλιος λίθος m (themélios líthos)
    • κινώ πάντα λίθον (kinó pánta líthon)
    • λίθοι, πλίνθοι και κέραμοι ατάκτως ερριμένα (líthoi, plínthoi kai kéramoi atáktos erriména)
    • πολύτιμος λίθος m (polýtimos líthos)
    Derivatives and compounds

    Further reading