μῆλον

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /mɛ́͜ɛlon/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /méːlon/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /mílon/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /mílon/

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

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Seems to be a Mediterranean borrowing, compare Hittite mahla "grape".

Alternative forms

• μᾶλον (Doric, Aeolic)

Noun

μῆλον (genitive μήλου) n, second declension; (mēlon)

1. apple
2. any fruit from a tree
3. (figuratively, in the plural) a woman's breast
4. (in the plural) cheeks

Inflection

Second declension of μῆλον, μήλου

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	μῆλον	μήλω	μῆλᾰ
Genitive	μήλου	μήλοιν	μήλων
Dative	μήλῳ	μήλοιν	μήλοις
Accusative	μῆλον	μήλω	μῆλᾰ
Vocative	μῆλον	μήλω	μῆλᾰ

Descendants

• Latin: mālum, mēlum

Etymology 2

Uncertain. Compare Old Irish mil (“small animal”), Dutch maal (“young cow”), Old Church Slavonic малъ (malŭ), and Old English smæl (English small).

Alternative forms

• μεῖλον (Boeotian)

Noun

μῆλον (genitive μήλου) n, second declension; (mēlon)

1. sheep
2. goat
3. beast

Inflection

Second declension of μῆλον, μήλου

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	μῆλον	μήλω	μῆλᾰ
Genitive	μήλου	μήλοιν	μήλων
Dative	μήλῳ	μήλοιν	μήλοις
Accusative	μῆλον	μήλω	μῆλᾰ
Vocative	μῆλον	μήλω	μῆλᾰ

References

• LSJ
• Robert S. P. Beekes (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Brill Academic Publishers)