γένος Ancient Greek · revision 15591

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=Homer, Iliad|origins=ine-pro *ǵenh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

+ * IPA (4th-century AD Koine): /ˈʝe.nos/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (10th-century Byzantine): /ˈʝe.nos/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''γένος''' (génos) ''n'' (genitive γένεος or γένους); third declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|grk-pro|*génos]], an old verbal noun of [[m|grc|γίγνομαι|tr=gígnomai|t=to be born, become]], from the root [[ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-|t=to be born]].^(Wiktionary)^(Frisk 1960)^(DGE) It is identical in form and meaning with [[la|genus|t=birth, kind]], and matches [[sa|जनस्|tr=jánas]], found once in the Rigveda, and [[xcl|ծին|tr=cin|t=birth]].^(Frisk 1960)^(Wiktionary)^(Πάπυρος)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Homer uses it from the ''Iliad'' (2.852) for race, stock and descent: “of one race and one homeland” (''Iliad'' 13.354), and “not to shame the race of your fathers” (''Iliad'' 6.209).^(GLAUx)^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its first sense is line of descent, birth, and so the family, the clan and the descendants (the ''Odyssey'', elegy, Pindar, Herodotus, tragedy).^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary) Herodotus and Thucydides use it for a people or nation and for a tribe within it.^(CGL 2021) It also meant a breed or race of beings: gods, mortals, Centaurs, women.^(CGL 2021) Plato and Aristotle made it a technical term for a class or genus, under which the [[εἶδος|tr=eîdos]] is a species.^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ Its derivative [[γενικός|tr=genikós]] “of the γένος” gave the grammatical [[γενική|tr=genikḗ]] “genitive”.^(Frisk 1960) It is very often the second part of adjectives in [[m|grc|-γενής|tr=-genḗs]].^(Frisk 1960)^(Πάπυρος) Modern Greek ''γένος'' is a learned word.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Homer – The ''Iliad'' uses it for race and descent.^(GLAUx)^(LSJ 1940)

+ * 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for a people and a tribe.^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ * 5th–4th century BC – Plato uses it for a class.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * 4th century BC – Aristotle uses it for a genus.^(LSJ 1940)^(DGE)

+ * Modern Greek – ''γένος'' survives as a learned word.^(Triantafyllidis 1998)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Descent, lineage, [[m|en|birth]].^(CGL 2021)^(DGE)

+ # A family, [[m|en|clan]], house; descendants, offspring.^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A people, [[m|en|nation]], race; a tribe.^(CGL 2021)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A breed or race of beings.^(CGL 2021)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' A class, kind, [[m|en|genus]].^(LSJ 1940)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[γενεά|tr=geneā́]]

+ * [[γένεσις|tr=génesis]]

+ * [[-γενής|tr=-genḗs]]

+ * [[γέννα|tr=génna]]

+ * [[γίγνομαι|tr=gígnomai]]

+ * [[γόνος|tr=gónos]]

+ * [[la|genus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}