δαίμων

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *deh₂-i- (“to divide, cut”), whence also δαίομαι (daíomai, “to divide”). For similar semantic development compare Old Persian 𐎲𐎥 (baga, “god”), Sanskrit भग (bhága, “dispenser, patron”) (usually applied to gods) beside Avestan [script?] (baga-, “part”) and Sanskrit भजति (bhajati, “to divide, apportion”).

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 • (daimōn) (genitive δαίμονος) m, f, third declension

1. god, goddess
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.222
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 3.420
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 6.172
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 21.196
   1. divine power, deity
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 17.98
      • 460 BCE – 420 BCE, Herodotus, Histories 1.111
      • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 1443
      • 445 BCE – 380 BCE, Lysias, Collected Works 135.33
      • 389 BCE – 314 BCE, Aeschines, Collected Works 69.38
      • 414 BCE, Aristophanes, The Birds 544
   2. guardian spirit (Latin genius), and so one's fate, destiny, fortune
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 5.396, (compare 10.64)
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 11.61
      • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 8.166
      • 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 158
      • 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 601
      • 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1342
      • 467 BCE, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes 705
      • 467 BCE, Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes 812
      • 406 BCE, Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus 76
      • 480 BCE – 411 BCE, Antiphon of Rhamnus, Collected Works 122.44
2. departed soul
   • 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Works and Days 121
   • 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Works and Days 312
   • 472 BCE, Aeschylus, The Persians 620
   • 438 BCE, Euripides, Alcestis 1003
3. (ecclesiastical) demon, evil spirit

Derived terms

• εὐδαίμων (eudaimōn)
• κακοδαίμων (kakodaimōn)

Descendants

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

Usage notes

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

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
• Robert S. P. Beekes (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Leiden, Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, volume 1, page 297