μάθησις

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From the root of μᾰνθᾰ́νω (mănthắnō, “to learn”) +‎ -σις (-sis, verbal noun suffix).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /má.tʰɛː.sis/ → /ˈma.θi.sis/ → /ˈma.θi.sis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /má.tʰɛː.sis/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈma.tʰe̝.sis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈma.θi.sis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈma.θi.sis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈma.θi.sis/

Noun

μᾰ́θησῐς • (mắthēsĭs) f (genitive μᾰθήσεως); third declension

1. the act of learning; getting of knowledge

   Synonym: (Ionic, poetic) μᾰ́θος (mắthos)

   • 423 BCE, Euripides, The Suppliants:

     διδακτός, εἴπερ καὶ βρέφος διδάσκεται λέγειν ἀκούειν θ’ ὧν μάθησιν οὐκ ἔχει.

     didaktós, eíper kaì bréphos didásketai légein akoúein th’ hôn máthēsin ouk ékhei.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Alcman to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sophocles to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Thucydides to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Plato to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Berliner griechische Urkunden to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ephorus to this entry?)

2. desire for learning

   Synonym: χρηστομᾰ́θειᾰ (khrēstomắtheiă)

   • c. 420 BCE, Sophocles, Electra 1032
3. education; instruction

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Hippocrates to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Plato to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Xenophon to this entry?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Aristotle to this entry?)

Declension

Third declension of ἡ μᾰ́θησῐς; τῆς μᾰθήσεως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ μᾰ́θησῐς hē mắthēsĭs	τὼ μᾰθήσει tṑ măthḗsei	αἱ μᾰθήσεις hai măthḗseis
Genitive	τῆς μᾰθήσεως tês măthḗseōs	τοῖν μᾰθησέοιν toîn măthēséoin	τῶν μᾰθήσεων tôn măthḗseōn
Dative	τῇ μᾰθήσει tēî măthḗsei	τοῖν μᾰθησέοιν toîn măthēséoin	ταῖς μᾰθήσεσῐ / μᾰθήσεσῐν taîs măthḗsesĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν μᾰ́θησῐν tḕn mắthēsĭn	τὼ μᾰθήσει tṑ măthḗsei	τᾱ̀ς μᾰθήσεις tā̀s măthḗseis
Vocative	μᾰ́θησῐ mắthēsĭ	μᾰθήσει măthḗsei	μᾰθήσεις măthḗseis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: μάθηση (máthisi)
• Latin: mathēsis
  • English: mathesis
  • Middle French: mathesie

Further reading

• “μάθησις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “μάθησις”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “μάθησις” in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • comprehension idem, page 153.
  • education idem, page 262.
  • information idem, page 439.
  • instruction idem, page 447.
  • intelligence idem, page 448.
  • knowledge idem, page 472.
  • learning idem, page 483.
  • schooling idem, page 739.
  • study idem, page 829.