μέγαρον

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• μᾰ́γᾰρον (mágaron)

Etymology

In the "sacred pit" sense, borrowed from Semitic, perhaps with influence from the "hall" sense; compare Arabic مَغَارَة (maḡāra, “cave”), Hebrew מְעָרָה (məʿārâ, “cave”), Ugaritic 𐎎𐎙𐎗𐎚 (mġrt, “cave”). See also Latin māgālia (“huts”).

In the "hall" sense, borrowed from Pre-Greek, albeit influenced in form and meaning by μέγας (mégas, “big, large”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mé.ɡa.ron/ → /ˈme.ɣa.ron/ → /ˈme.ɣa.ron/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mé.ɡa.ron/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ɡa.ron/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ɣa.ron/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ɣa.ron/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ɣa.ron/

Noun

μέγᾰρον • (mégaron) n (genitive μεγᾰ́ρου); second declension

1. large room, hall
2. (in the plural) house, palace
3. sanctuary, shrine
4. tomb
5. (in the plural) pits sacred to Demeter and Persephone, into which young pigs were let down in the Thesmophoria

Declension

Second declension of τὸ μέγᾰρον; τοῦ μεγᾰ́ρου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ μέγᾰρον tò mégaron	τὼ μεγᾰ́ρω tṑ megárō	τᾰ̀ μέγᾰρᾰ tà mégara
Genitive	τοῦ μεγᾰ́ρου toû megárou	τοῖν μεγᾰ́ροιν toîn megároin	τῶν μεγᾰ́ρων tôn megárōn
Dative	τῷ μεγᾰ́ρῳ tôi megárōi	τοῖν μεγᾰ́ροιν toîn megároin	τοῖς μεγᾰ́ροις toîs megárois
Accusative	τὸ μέγᾰρον tò mégaron	τὼ μεγᾰ́ρω tṑ megárō	τᾰ̀ μέγᾰρᾰ tà mégara
Vocative	μέγᾰρον mégaron	μεγᾰ́ρω megárō	μέγᾰρᾰ mégara
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of μέγᾰρον; μεγᾰ́ρου (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	μέγᾰρον mégaron	μεγᾰ́ρω megárō	μέγᾰρᾰ mégara
Genitive	μεγᾰ́ρου / μεγᾰροῖο / μεγᾰ́ροιο / μεγᾰρόο / μεγᾰ́ροο megárou / megaroîo / megároio / megaróo / megároo	μεγᾰ́ροιῐν megároiin	μεγᾰ́ρων megárōn
Dative	μεγᾰ́ρῳ megárōi	μεγᾰ́ροιῐν megároiin	μεγᾰ́ροισῐ / μεγᾰ́ροισῐν / μεγᾰ́ροις megároisi(n) / megárois
Accusative	μέγᾰρον mégaron	μεγᾰ́ρω megárō	μέγᾰρᾰ mégara
Vocative	μέγᾰρον mégaron	μεγᾰ́ρω megárō	μέγᾰρᾰ mégara
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• Μέγᾰρᾰ (Mégara)
• Μέγαρα Ὑβλαῖα (Mégara Hublaîa)

Further reading

• “μέγαρον”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press