δαίμων

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From δαίω (daíō, “to divide, to allot”), from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃-. Cognates include the Sanskrit adjective often applied to gods भग (bhága, “dispenser, patron”) and Old Persian 𐎲𐎥 (baga, “god”).

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /da͜ɪ́mɔ͜ɔn/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /dɛ́ːmoːn/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /ðémon/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /ðémon/

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

Noun

δαίμων (genitive δαίμονος) m, f, third declension; (daimōn)

1. god, goddess
   • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Iliad, 1.222
   • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Iliad, 3.420
   • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Odyssey, 6.172
   • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Odyssey, 21.196
   1. divine power, deity
      • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Iliad, 17.98
      • 460-420 BC, Herodotus, Histories, 1.111
      • ~406 BC, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 1443
      • Lysias, 135.33
      • Aeschines, 69.38
      • 414 BC, Aristophanes, The Birds, 544
   2. guardian spirit (Latin genius), and so one's fate, destiny, fortune
      • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Odyssey, 5.396, (compare 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Odyssey, 10.64)
      • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Odyssey, 11.61
      • 7th, 8th century BC, Homer, Iliad, 8.166
      • 472 BC, Aeschylus, The Persians, 158
      • 472 BC, Aeschylus, The Persians, 601
      • 458 BC, Aeschylus, Agamemnon, 1342
      • 467 BC, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes, 705
      • 467 BC, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes, 812
      • ~406 BC, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 76
      • Antipho, 122.44
2. departed soul
   • Hesiod, Works and Days, 121
   • Hesiod, Works and Days, 312
   • 472 BC, Aeschylus, The Persians, 620
   • 5th century BC, Euripides, Alc., 1003
3. (ecclesiastical) demon, evil spirit

Derived terms

• εὐδαίμων
• κακοδαίμων

Descendants

• Latin: daemon
• English: demon, daemon, daimon

Usage notes

While δαίμων was sometimes used interchangeably with θεός, when used together in a context, a δαίμων is usually a lower god than a θεός.

Inflection

Third declension of δαίμων, δαίμονος

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	δαίμων	δαίμονε	δαίμονες
Genitive	δαίμονος	δαιμόνοιν	δαιμόνων
Dative	δαίμονῐ	δαιμόνοιν	δαίμοσῐ(ν)
Accusative	δαίμονᾰ	δαίμονε	δαίμονᾰς
Vocative	δαῖμον	δαίμονε	δαίμονες

References

• δαίμων in A Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell & Scott, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1940
• BDAG
• Strong’s concordance number: G1142