στρουθίων

Forms

στρουθίων (strouthíōn) m (genitive στρουθίωνος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek στρουθός (strouthós) + -ίων (-íōn), “sparrow; ostrich”, with the suffix of πορφυρίων (porphuríōn).^[1][2] Beekes counts it among the late derivatives of στρουθός (strouthós), with the same meaning as the base word.^[3] For the base word itself Beekes suspects a Pre-Greek origin, but finds the evidence too weak to decide.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Gregory of Nazianzus, meaning the ostrich, like the usual στρουθοκάμηλος (strouthokámēlos).^[4][5]

Semantic evolution

Besides Gregory of Nazianzus, LSJ cites the word only from the glossaries, as a synonym of στρουθοκάμηλος.^[6] Korinthios also gives it the sense “little sparrow”.^[7]

Wiktionary lists Latin strūthiō “ostrich” as borrowed from it,^[1] while Etymonline derives the Late Latin word from the diminutive Ancient Greek στρουθίον (strouthíon); through Vulgar Latin avis struthio it is the source of Old French ostruce and English ostrich.^[8]

Timeline

• 4th century AD – Gregory of Nazianzus uses it for the ostrich.^[4][5][9]
• Early 13th century – English ostrich is recorded, from Old French and ultimately Latin struthio.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. The ostrich, the same as στρουθοκάμηλος (strouthokámēlos).^[6][4][1]
2. A little sparrow.^[7]

Related words

• στρουθός (strouthós)
• στρουθοκάμηλος (strouthokámēlos)
• στρουθίον (strouthíon)
• Latin struthio
• English ostrich

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Πάπυρος–Larousse–Britannica, Μέγα Λεξικό της Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Πάπυρος
3. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
5. ^ a b Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 3rd ed., rev. Max Sengebusch, Braunschweig: Vieweg
6. ^ a b Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge