ἴς

ἴς¹ sinew, fibre

Pronunciation

• 5th-century BC Attic: /ǐːs/^[1]
• 4th-century AD Koine: /ˈis/^[1]
• 10th-century Byzantine: /ˈis/^[1]

Forms

ῑ̓́ς (ī́s) f (genitive ῑ̓νός); third declension^[1]

Etymology

The word for the sinew had an initial digamma ⟨ϝ⟩, and its origin is debated.^[2] Beekes leaves open whether it is a concrete use of the word for “strength” (homograph 2) or a separate word, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *wiH- (“tensile force”), comparing the sense of Sanskrit वयस् (váyas-), which means both “tensile force” and “power”.^[2] Scheftelowitz instead took it for an independent word from a verb meaning “to bend”, seen in ἴτυς (ítus) and Ἶρις (Îris), and compared Hesychius' γίς (gís, “strap”).^[2] Pokorny puts it under the root Proto-Indo-European *wey- (“to turn, bend”).^[3] The stem in ⟨-ν-⟩ is usually explained from an old accusative ⟨ἶνα⟩, with the ending ⟨-α⟩ added as in ⟨Ζῆνα⟩.^[2][1] LSJ thinks it unrelated to the word for strength,^[4] but Babiniotis prefers to take it as the same word, with the sense “sinew, fibre” a Greek innovation.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer uses it once in the singular, of the tendon at the back of an ox's neck, and otherwise in the plural for the sinews of the body.^[4][6][2]

Semantic evolution

Archilochus and Aristophanes speak of the sinews of the limbs, and Pindar, figuratively, of cutting the sinews of Troy.^[4] Plato and Aristotle use it for the fibres in the muscles and the fibrin of the blood, and Theophrastus for the ribs of a leaf.^[4][2] Later medical writers use it for the fibres of papyrus.^[4]

The modern Modern Greek ίνα (ína), “fibre”, is a learned form built on the ancient accusative.^[7][5]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it of tendons and sinews.^[4][6]
• 7th century BC – Archilochus uses the plural for the sinews of the limbs.^[4]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it of the fibres in the muscles.^[4]
• 4th–3rd century BC – Theophrastus uses it of the rib of a leaf.^[4][2]
• 1st–2nd century AD – Soranus uses the plural ἰσίν of strips of papyrus.^[4]
• Modern Greek – The learned ίνα (ína) means a fibre.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sinew or tendon; in Homer, the tendon at the back of an ox's neck; usually plural.^[4][6]
2. A fibre in the muscles; in blood, fibrin.^[4]
3. The rib of a leaf.^[4]
4. A strip or fibre of papyrus.^[4]

Word family

• ἰνίον (īníon)
• ἰνώδης (inṓdēs)
• ἰνόω (inóō)
• ἰνάριον (īnárion)

ἴς² strength

Pronunciation

• 5th-century BC Attic: /ǐːs/^[1]
• 4th-century AD Koine: /ˈis/^[1]
• 10th-century Byzantine: /ˈis/^[1]

Forms

ῑ̓́ς (ī́s) f; accusative ἶνα (elided ἶν’), instrumental ἶφι (îphi); otherwise only in the nominative singular.^[4][2]

Etymology

The word for strength is inherited from Proto-Hellenic *wīs,^[1] from Proto-Indo-European *wiH- (“strength”).^[2][1] Hesychius' gloss γίς (gís) (for ⟨ϝίς⟩) “strength” shows the lost initial ⟨w⟩ and confirms the link with Latin vīs (“strength, force”); the expected accusative ⟨ϝῖν⟩, matching the Latin accusative ⟨vim⟩, survives as Homer's ⟨ἶν’⟩, always before a vowel.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is a Homeric word: Homer uses it of a hero's bodily strength, of the force of wind and river, and in periphrases such as “the mighty strength of Odysseus” for the hero himself.^[4][6][8]

Semantic evolution

Outside epic it is rare: Hesiod has “the strength of Heracles”, and the instrumental ἶφι (îphi) “with might” lived on as a fixed adverb, with the adjective ἴφιος (ī́phios) “strong”.^[4][2] The old stem also lives on in names such as Boeotian Ϝιφιάδας.^[2][4]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it of strength and force, often in periphrases for a hero.^[4][6]
• Before the 6th century BC – Hesiod's Theogony speaks of the strength of Heracles.^[4]
• 5th century AD – Hesychius records the form γίς (gís) “strength”.^[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Strength, force, of persons; in periphrasis, “the strength of X” for the person himself.^[4][6]
2. The force of a wind or a river.^[4]

Word family

• ἴφιος (ī́phios)
• ἶφι (îphi)