γυνή

Ancient Greek

Ἡ γυνὴ καλέεται Σαπφὼ Λέσβου.

Alternative forms

• βανά (Boeotian)
• γυνά (Doric)
• 𐀓𐀙𐀊 (ku-na-ja) (Mycenaean)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn (“woman”). Cognates include Sanskrit जनि (jani), Old Armenian կին (kin), and Old English cwēn (English queen).

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /ɡynɛ͜ɛ́/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /ɣynéː/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /ɣyní/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /ʝyní/

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

Noun

γυνή (genitive γυναικός) f, third declension; (gunē)

1. woman, female
2. wife

Inflection

Third declension of γῠνή, γῠναικός

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	γῠνή	γῠναῖκε	γῠναῖκες
Genitive	γῠναικός	γῠναικοῖν	γῠναικῶν
Dative	γῠναικί	γῠναικοῖν	γῠναιξί(ν)
Accusative	γῠναῖκᾰ	γῠναῖκε	γῠναῖκᾰς
Vocative	γύναι	γῠναῖκε	γῠναῖκες

a number of alternate forms exist, including: γυνή (vocative singular), γυναικείων (genitive plural), γυναίκεσσι (dative plural), γυνήν (accusative singular), γυναί (nominative plural), and γυνάς (accusative plural).

Descendants

• English: gynaecology, misogyny, gynecomastia
• Greek: γυναίκα

References

• LSJ
• Bauer lexicon
• Strong’s concordance number: G1135