γένος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os (“race”). Cognates include Latin genus, Sanskrit जनस् (jánas), Old Armenian ծին (cin) and English kin.

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /ɡénos/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /ɣɛ́nos/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /ɣénos/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /ʝénos/

• (15th AD Constantinopolitan): IPA: /ʝénos/

Noun

γένος (genitive γένεος or γένους); n, third declension; (genos)

1. offspring, descendant
2. family, clan
3. nation, race
4. gender
5. any type or class

Inflection

Third declension of γένος, γένεος (uncontracted)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	γένος	γένεε	γένεᾰ
Genitive	γένεος	γενέοιν	γενέων
Dative	γένεϊ	γενέοιν	γένεσσῐ(ν)
Accusative	γένος	γένεε	γένεᾰ
Vocative	γένος	γένεε	γένεᾰ

This inflection pattern originally had a sigma (i.e. γένεσος), which was dropped early on in the history of Ancient Greek.

Third declension of γένος, γένους (contracted)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	γένος	γένει	γένη
Genitive	γένους	γενοῖν	γενῶν
Dative	γένει	γενοῖν	γένεσῐ(ν)
Accusative	γένος	γένει	γένη
Vocative	γένος	γένει	γένη

The irregular accentuation of this paradigm is explained by the fact that it is the contracted version of the above paradigm.

References

• γένος in A Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell & Scott, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1940
• Bauer lexicon
• Strong’s concordance number: G1085

---

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek γένος (genos)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʝe̞no̞s/

Noun

γένος (génos) n,   plural γένη

1. family
2. nation
3. (biology) genus
4. (grammar) gender (masculine, feminine, etc)
5. maiden name

Declension

declension of γένος

	singular (ενικός)	plural (πληθυντικός)
nominative (ονομαστική)	γένος	γένη
genitive (γενική)	γένους	γενών
accusative (αιτιατική)	γένος	γένη
vocative (κλητική)	γένος	γένη