Δημήτηρ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• Δᾱμᾱ́τηρ (Dāmā́tēr) — Arcadocypriot, Aeolic, Doric
• Δημήτρᾱ (Dēmḗtrā)
• Δωμᾱ́τηρ (Dōmā́tēr) — Aeolic

Etymology

The second half is generally believed to be μήτηρ (mḗtēr, “mother”). The first element is classically explained as an archaic form of γῆ (gê, “earth”), however this is disputed. Some refer the δη to an Illyrian form (see Albanian dhe (“earth”)), or even whole δημη. See also Δαμία (Damía), Σεμέλη (Semélē).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /dɛː.mɛ̌ː.tɛːr/ → /ðiˈmi.tir/ → /ðiˈmi.tir/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /dɛː.mɛ̌ː.tɛːr/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /de̝ˈme̝.te̝r/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ðiˈmi.tir/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ðiˈmi.tir/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ðiˈmi.tir/

Proper noun

Δημήτηρ • (Dēmḗtēr) f (genitive Δήμητρος); third declension

1. (Greek mythology) Demeter

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ Δημήτηρ; τῆς Δημῆτρος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ἡ Δημήτηρ hē Dēmḗtēr
Genitive	τῆς Δημῆτρος tês Dēmêtros
Dative	τῇ Δημῆτρῐ têi Dēmêtri
Accusative	τὴν Δημῆτρᾰ tḕn Dēmêtra
Vocative	Δήμητερ Dḗmēter
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἡ Δημήτηρ; τῆς Δημήτερος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ἡ Δημήτηρ hē Dēmḗtēr
Genitive	τῆς Δημήτερος tês Dēmḗteros
Dative	τῇ Δημήτερῐ têi Dēmḗteri
Accusative	τὴν Δημήτερᾰ tḕn Dēmḗtera
Vocative	Δήμητερ Dḗmēter
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• Δημήτριος (Dēmḗtrios)

Related terms

• Δηώ (Dēṓ)

Descendants

• Greek: Δημήτηρ m (Dimítir)

  Δήμητρα f (Dímitra)

  Δημήτριος m (Dimítrios)

  δημητριακά n or pl (dimitriaká, “cereal, breakfast cereal”)

• Latin: Demeter
• → Russian: Деме́тра (Demétra)

References

• “Δημήτηρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Δημήτηρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “Δημήτηρ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• Δημήτηρ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,008
• Julius Pokorny (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, in 3 vols, Bern, München: Francke Verlag