βασιλεύς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• βᾰσῐλῆος (băsĭlêos) — Homeric, genitive
• βᾰσῐλῆϝος (băsĭlêwos) — Arcadocypriot, genitive
• 𐠞𐠪𐠐𐠵𐠩 (pa-si-le-wo-se), 𐠞𐠪𐠐𐠄𐠩 (pa-si-le-u-se) — Cypriot, Cypriot syllabary
• βᾰσῐλῆϝς (băsĭlêws) — Arcadocypriot
• βα​ἱλεύς (ba​hileús) — Laconian

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *gʷatiléus, with σ (s) developing by assibilation. Cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀣𐀯𐀩𐀄 (qa-si-re-u), that is, *gʷasileus. Further etymology uncertain. Multiple Indo-European etymologies have been advanced, while Beekes considers it Pre-Greek in origin. Possibly from an Anatolian language (see Lydian 𐤡𐤠𐤯𐤯𐤬𐤳 (pattoš, “king”)), although the Mycenaean (Linear B) evidence points to an original form with initial gʷ.

Case forms show Attic shortening of the original stem βασιληϝ- (basilēw-); see quantitative metathesis.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ba.si.lěu̯s/ → /βa.siˈleɸs/ → /va.siˈlefs/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ba.si.lěu̯s/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ba.siˈleʍs/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /βa.siˈleɸs/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /va.siˈlefs/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /va.siˈlefs/

• Hyphenation: βα‧σι‧λεύς

Noun

βᾰσῐλεύς • (băsĭleús) m (genitive βᾰσῐλέως); third declension

1. chief, master
2. emperor, king, lord, patron

Usage notes

During specific periods of Greek history, βασιλεύς (basileús) was used to describe certain foreign leaders of comparable authority, such as the Persian kings and Roman augustus. In this usage, it often took on certain modifications, such as a lack of definite article or the use of the adjective μέγας (mégas).

Declension

Third declension of ὁ βᾰσῐλεύς; τοῦ βᾰσῐλέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ βᾰσῐλεύς ho băsĭleús	τὼ βᾰσῐλῆ tṑ băsĭlê	οἱ βᾰσῐλῆς / βᾰσῐλεῖς hoi băsĭlês / băsĭleîs
Genitive	τοῦ βᾰσῐλέως toû băsĭléōs	τοῖν βᾰσῐλέοιν toîn băsĭléoin	τῶν βᾰσῐλέων tôn băsĭléōn
Dative	τῷ βᾰσῐλεῖ tōî băsĭleî	τοῖν βᾰσῐλέοιν toîn băsĭléoin	τοῖς βᾰσῐλεῦσῐ / βᾰσῐλεῦσῐν toîs băsĭleûsĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν βᾰσῐλέᾱ tòn băsĭléā	τὼ βᾰσῐλῆ tṑ băsĭlê	τοὺς βᾰσῐλέᾱς toùs băsĭléās
Vocative	βᾰσῐλεῦ băsĭleû	βᾰσῐλῆ băsĭlê	βᾰσῐλῆς / βᾰσῐλεῖς băsĭlês / băsĭleîs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of βᾰσῐλεύς; βᾰσῐλῆος / βᾰσῐλέος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	βᾰσῐλεύς băsĭleús	βᾰσῐλῆε / βᾰσῐλῆ / βᾰσῐλέε / βᾰσῐλεῖ băsĭlêe / băsĭlê / băsĭlée / băsĭleî	βᾰσῐλῆες / βᾰσῐλῆς / βᾰσῐλέες / βᾰσῐλεῖς băsĭlêes / băsĭlês / băsĭlées / băsĭleîs
Genitive	βᾰσῐλῆος / βᾰσῐλέος băsĭlêos / băsĭléos	βᾰσῐλήοιῐ̈ν / βᾰσῐλέοιῐ̈ν băsĭlḗoiĭ̈n / băsĭléoiĭ̈n	βᾰσῐλήων / βᾰσῐλέων băsĭlḗōn / băsĭléōn
Dative	βᾰσῐλῆῐ̈ / βᾰσῐλέῐ̈ / βᾰσῐλεῖ băsĭlêĭ̈ / băsĭléĭ̈ / băsĭleî	βᾰσῐλήοιῐ̈ν / βᾰσῐλέοιῐ̈ν băsĭlḗoiĭ̈n / băsĭléoiĭ̈n	βᾰσῐλεῦσῐ / βᾰσῐλεῦσῐν / βᾰσῐλήεσσῐ / βᾰσῐλήεσσῐν băsĭleûsĭ(n) / băsĭlḗessĭ(n)
Accusative	βᾰσῐλῆᾰ / βᾰσῐλέᾰ băsĭlêă / băsĭléă	βᾰσῐλῆε / βᾰσῐλῆ / βᾰσῐλέε / βᾰσῐλεῖ băsĭlêe / băsĭlê / băsĭlée / băsĭleî	βᾰσῐλῆᾰς / βᾰσῐλέᾰς băsĭlêăs / băsĭléăs
Vocative	βᾰσῐλεῦ băsĭleû	βᾰσῐλῆε / βᾰσῐλῆ / βᾰσῐλέε / βᾰσῐλεῖ băsĭlêe / băsĭlê / băsĭlée / băsĭleî	βᾰσῐλῆες / βᾰσῐλῆς / βᾰσῐλέες / βᾰσῐλεῖς băsĭlêes / băsĭlês / băsĭlées / băsĭleîs
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Synonyms

• ἄνᾰξ (ánăx), κοίρανος (koíranos)

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓ποβᾰσῐλεύς (ăpobăsĭleús)
• βᾰσῐ́λεια (băsĭ́leia)
• βᾰσῐλεία (băsĭleía)
• βᾰσῐλειάω (băsĭleiáō)
• βᾰσῐλείδης (băsĭleídēs)
• βᾰσῐλείδιον (băsĭleídion)
• βᾰσῐ́λειον (băsĭ́leion)
• βᾰσῐ́λειος (băsĭ́leios)
• βᾰσῐλευτός (băsĭleutós)
• βᾰσῐλεύτωρ (băsĭleútōr)
• βᾰσῐλεύω (băsĭleúō)
• βᾰσῐ́λη (băsĭ́lē)
• βᾰσῐληΐη (băsĭlēḯē)
• βᾰσῐλήιος (băsĭlḗios)
• βᾰσῐληίς (băsĭlēís)
• βᾰσῐληΐς (băsĭlēḯs)
• βᾰσῐλῐ́ζω (băsĭlĭ́zō)
• βᾰσῐλικός (băsĭlikós)
• βᾰσῐλιναῦ (băsĭlinaû)
• βᾰσῐλίνδα (băsĭlínda)
• βᾰσῐ́λιννα (băsĭ́linna)
• βᾰσῐλίς (băsĭlís)
• βᾰσῐλῐ́σκος (băsĭlĭ́skos)
• βᾰσῐ́λισσα (băsĭ́lissa)
• βᾰσῐλισταί (băsĭlistaí)
• πᾰμβᾰσῐλεύς (pămbăsĭleús)

Descendants

• Greek: βασιλεύς (vasiléfs), βασιλέας (vasiléas), βασιλιάς (vasiliás)
• Mariupol Greek: васлэ́яс (vasléjas)
• → Arabic: بَاسِل (bāsil, proper name)
• → Coptic: ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲉⲩⲥ (basileus)
• → English: basileus, basilean, basileolatry, basilolatry
• → Medieval Latin: basileus
• → Safaitic: 𐪈𐪊𐪁 (bs¹l /⁠bāsil⁠/, proper name)

Further reading

• “βασιλεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “βασιλεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “βασιλεύς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• βασιλεύς in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001), A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• βασιλεύς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• βασιλεύς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2026)
• “βασιλεύς”, in Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G935 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • king idem, page 469.
  • lord idem, page 500.
  • royalty idem, page 724.
  • ruler idem, page 726.
  • sovereign idem, page 797.
• Sihler, Andrew L. (1995), New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, § 319-320

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βασιλεύς.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vasiˈlefs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: βα‧σι‧λεύς

Noun

βασιλεύς • (vasiléfs) m (plural βασιλείς)

1. Katharevousa form of βασιλιάς (vasiliás, “king”)