γυνή Ancient Greek · revision 15579

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Homer, Iliad|origins=ine-pro *gʷen-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (5th-century BC Attic): /ɡy.nɛ̌ː/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ʝyˈni/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ʝyˈni/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''γῠνή''' (gunḗ) ''f'' (genitive γῠναικός); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|grk-pro|*gʷənā]], from Indo-European [[ine-pro|*gʷen-|t=woman]], an old word kept in most Indo-European languages.^(Wiktionary)^(IE-CoR)^(Frisk 1960) Γυνή and Boeotian [[m|grc|βανά|tr=baná]] have reduced vowels of different colour and match [[sa|ग्ना|tr=gnā́|t=divine woman, goddess]] and [[ae|gənā|tr=gənā|t=woman]].^(Frisk 1960) The unexplained oblique stem [[m|grc|γυναικ-|tr=gunaik-]] corresponds to the Armenian plural [[xcl|կանայք|tr=kanaykʿ|t=women]].^(Frisk 1960) Wiktionary takes it as the strong stem with a suffix *-keh₂.^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[xcl|կին|tr=kin|t=woman]] and [[ang|cwēn|t=queen]].^(Wiktionary) The Linear B word [[gmy|ku-na-ja]] contains it.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Homer uses it from the first book of the ''Iliad'' (1.348) for a woman, often with a word for “servant” or “mistress”, and as opposed to a man or a goddess.^(GLAUx)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its main senses from Homer on are woman and wife.^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary) It is part of many compounds, such as [[ἀνδρόγυνος|tr=andrógunos]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Kriaras records the form ''γεναίκα'' from the 5th–6th century and ''γυναίκα'' in Byzantine sources.^(Kriaras) ''Γυναίκα'' is the Modern Greek word, and Tsakonian has ''γουναίκα''.^(Wiktionary) Modern Greek ''γυνή'' survives as a learned word.^(Triantafyllidis 1998) English ''gyno-'' comes from it.^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' uses it for a woman and a wife.^(GLAUx)^(CGL 2021)

+ * 5th–6th century AD – The form γεναίκα is recorded.^(Kriaras)

+ * Byzantine – The form γυναίκα is in use.^(Kriaras)

+ * Modern Greek – ''γυναίκα'' means woman.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|woman]]; a female.^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|wife]].^(Wiktionary)^(CGL 2021)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ἀνδρόγυνος|tr=andrógunos]]

+ * [[γυναικεῖος|tr=gunaikeîos]]

+ * [[γυναικείως|tr=gunaikeíōs]]

+ * [[γυναικίζω|tr=gunaikízō]]

+ * [[γυναίκισις|tr=gunaíkisis]]

+ * [[γυναικισμός|tr=gunaikismós]]

+ * [[γυναικόβουλος|tr=gunaikóboulos]]

+ * [[γυναικοκρατέομαι|tr=gunaikokratéomai]]

+ * [[γυναικοκρατία|tr=gunaikokratía]]

+ * [[γυναικομανέω|tr=gunaikomanéō]]

+ * [[γυναικόμορφος|tr=gunaikómorphos]]

+ * [[γυναικονομία|tr=gunaikonomía]]

+ * [[γυναικονόμος|tr=gunaikonómos]]

+ * [[γυναικοπληθής|tr=gunaikoplēthḗs]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|queen]]

+ * [[en|gyno-]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}