ἄλγος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Perhaps from ἀλέγω (alegō, “I heed, trouble myself”), but there are semantic difficulties.

Pronunciation

• (5th BC Attic): IPA: /álɡos/

• (1st BC Egyptian): IPA: /álɣos/

• (4th AD Koine): IPA: /álɣos/

• (10th AD Byzantine): IPA: /álɣos/

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

Noun

ἄλγος (genitive ἄλγεος, ἄλγους) n, third declension; (algos)

1. pain (of either mind or body), sorrow, trouble, grief, distress, woe
   • Ὅμηρος, Ἰλιάς, I, 1-2

     Μῆνιν ἄειδε, θεά, Πηληιάδεω Ἀχιλῆος οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί’ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε’ ἔθηκε.

     Sing, O goddess, the rage of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. (Iliad I, 1-2)

2. that which causes pain

Inflection

Third declension of ἄλγος, ἄλγεος (uncontracted)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἄλγος	ἄλγεε	ἄλγεᾰ
Genitive	ἄλγεος	ἀλγέοιν	ἀλγέων
Dative	ἄλγεϊ	ἀλγέοιν	ἄλγεσσῐ(ν)
Accusative	ἄλγος	ἄλγεε	ἄλγεᾰ
Vocative	ἄλγος	ἄλγεε	ἄλγεᾰ

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

Third declension of ἄλγος, ἄλγους (contracted)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἄλγος	ἄλγει	ἄλγη
Genitive	ἄλγους	ἀλγοῖν	ἀλγῶν
Dative	ἄλγει	ἀλγοῖν	ἄλγεσῐ(ν)
Accusative	ἄλγος	ἄλγει	ἄλγη
Vocative	ἄλγος	ἄλγει	ἄλγη

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

Synonyms

• πόνος (ponos)

Descendants

• English: -algia, -algy
• Greek:: άλγος (álgos)

References

• LSJ