γρώνη

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Nominalised female form of the adjective γρῶνος (grônos, “hollow, cavernous”) which is of unknown origin. The traditional connection to γράω (gráō, “gnaw, eat”) via the unattested form *γρώσνος (*grṓsnos) is doubtful since the verb does not show ablaut, with the semantic connection also being poor.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɡrɔ̌ː.nɛː/ → /ˈɣro.ni/ → /ˈɣro.ni/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡrɔ̌ː.nɛː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡro.ne̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣro.ni/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈɣro.ni/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈɣro.ni/

Noun

γρώνη • (grṓnē) f (genitive γρώνης); first declension

1. cavern (from the phrase γρώνη πέτρα (grṓnē pétra, “cavernous cave”))
2. hollow vessel
3. kneading trough
   • 3rd century BCE, Leonidas of Tarentum, chapter 736, in Greek Anthology, Book VII‎^[1]:

     φυστὴ ἐνὶ γρώνῃ μασσομένη παλάμαις

     phustḕ enì grṓnēi massoménē palámais

     barley cake kneaded in a trough by hands

Inflection

First declension of ἡ γρώνη; τῆς γρώνης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ γρώνη hē grṓnē	τὼ γρώνᾱ tṑ grṓnā	αἱ γρῶναι hai grônai
Genitive	τῆς γρώνης tês grṓnēs	τοῖν γρώναιν toîn grṓnain	τῶν γρωνῶν tôn grōnôn
Dative	τῇ γρώνῃ têi grṓnēi	τοῖν γρώναιν toîn grṓnain	ταῖς γρώναις taîs grṓnais
Accusative	τὴν γρώνην tḕn grṓnēn	τὼ γρώνᾱ tṑ grṓnā	τᾱ̀ς γρώνᾱς tā̀s grṓnās
Vocative	γρώνη grṓnē	γρώνᾱ grṓnā	γρῶναι grônai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: γούρνα (goúrna, “natural water-filled cavity, watering trough, cavity of a sink”)

Further reading

• “γρώνη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press