ξανθός

See also: Ξάνθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. There are at least two possibilities:

1. Derived from Proto-Indo-European, through augmented *ḱsendʰ-, from root *ḱas- (“white, blond, grey”). If this is correct, then this word is akin to Latin cānus (“white”), from Proto-Italic *kaznos;
2. Of Pre-Greek origin, according to Beekes, which deems the comparison with Latin as gratuitous. Compare also Ancient Greek ξουθός (xouthós, “golden yellow”).

Moreover, the often asserted connection with Etruscan 𐌆𐌀𐌌𐌈𐌉𐌂 (zamθic, “golden”) is probably spurious.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ksan.tʰós/ → /ksanˈθos/ → /ksanˈθos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ksan.tʰós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ksanˈtʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/

Adjective

ξᾰνθός • (xanthós) m (feminine ξᾰνθή, neuter ξᾰνθόν); first/second declension

1. yellow (of various shades), golden
2. fair, blond, flaxen, tawny, a golden-red fawn (of hair)
   • 630 BCE – 570 BCE, Sappho, Papyrus Fragments 23:

     ξάνθαι δ’ Ἐλέναι σ’ ἐίσ[κ]ην
     οὖδεν ἄεικες

     xánthai d’ Elénai s’ eís[k]ēn
     oûden áeikes

     Comparing you to golden Helen
     is not at all inappropriate

Inflection

First and second declension of ξᾰνθός; ξᾰνθή; ξᾰνθόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ξᾰνθός xanthós	ξᾰνθή xanthḗ	ξᾰνθόν xanthón		ξᾰνθώ xanthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xanthā́	ξᾰνθώ xanthṓ		ξᾰνθοί xanthoí	ξᾰνθαί xanthaí	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xanthá
Genitive		ξᾰνθοῦ xanthoû	ξᾰνθῆς xanthês	ξᾰνθοῦ xanthoû		ξᾰνθοῖν xanthoîn	ξᾰνθαῖν xanthaîn	ξᾰνθοῖν xanthoîn		ξᾰνθῶν xanthôn	ξᾰνθῶν xanthôn	ξᾰνθῶν xanthôn
Dative		ξᾰνθῷ xanthôi	ξᾰνθῇ xanthêi	ξᾰνθῷ xanthôi		ξᾰνθοῖν xanthoîn	ξᾰνθαῖν xanthaîn	ξᾰνθοῖν xanthoîn		ξᾰνθοῖς xanthoîs	ξᾰνθαῖς xanthaîs	ξᾰνθοῖς xanthoîs
Accusative		ξᾰνθόν xanthón	ξᾰνθήν xanthḗn	ξᾰνθόν xanthón		ξᾰνθώ xanthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xanthā́	ξᾰνθώ xanthṓ		ξᾰνθούς xanthoús	ξᾰνθᾱ́ς xanthā́s	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xanthá
Vocative		ξᾰνθέ xanthé	ξᾰνθή xanthḗ	ξᾰνθόν xanthón		ξᾰνθώ xanthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xanthā́	ξᾰνθώ xanthṓ		ξᾰνθοί xanthoí	ξᾰνθαί xanthaí	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xanthá
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ξᾰνθῶς xanthôs				ξᾰνθότερος xanthóteros				ξᾰνθότᾰτος xanthótatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἐρυθρόξανθος (eruthróxanthos)
• ξάνθη (xánthē)
• Ξανθίας (Xanthías)
• ξανθίζω (xanthízō)
• ξάνθιον (xánthion)
• ξάνθισις (xánthisis)
• ξάνθισμα (xánthisma)
• ξανθισμός (xanthismós)
• ξανθόγεως (xanthógeōs)
• ξανθοδερκής (xanthoderkḗs)
• ξανθοειδής (xanthoeidḗs)
• ξάνθοθριξ (xánthothrix)
• ξανθοκάρηνος (xanthokárēnos)
• ξανθοκάρυον (xanthokáruon)
• ξανθοκόμης (xanthokómēs)
• ξανθόλευκος (xanthóleukos)
• ξανθόλοφος (xanthólophos)
• ξανθομήλινος (xanthomḗlinos)
• Ξᾰ́νθος (Xánthos)
• ξανθότης (xanthótēs)
• ξανθοφαής (xanthophaḗs)
• ξανθοφυής (xanthophuḗs)
• ξανθοχίτων (xanthokhítōn)
• ξανθόχλοος (xanthókhloos)
• ξανθόχολος (xanthókholos)
• ξανθόχροος (xanthókhroos)
• ξανθόω (xanthóō)
• ξανθωπός (xanthōpós)
• ξάνθωσις (xánthōsis)
• πυρρόξανθος (purrhóxanthos)

 

Descendants

• Greek: ξανθός (xanthós)

See also

Colors in Ancient Greek · χρώμᾰτᾰ (khrṓmata) (layout · text)

λευκός (leukós)	γλαυκός (glaukós), κῐλλός (killós), πολῐός (poliós), φαιός (phaiós), χαροπός (kharopós)	ᾰ̓μαυρός (amaurós), κελαινός (kelainós), μαυρός (maurós), μέλᾱς (mélās)
ἐρῠθρός (eruthrós); κᾰρῡ́κῐνος (karū́kinos), κόκκῐνος (kókkinos), φοινός (phoinós)	πυρρός (purrhós); ὄρφνῐνος (órphninos)	μήλινος (mḗlinos), ξᾰνθός (xanthós); ὠχρός (ōkhrós)
πρᾰ́σῐνος (prásinos)	χλωρός (khlōrós)	χλωρός (khlōrós); χλωρομέλᾱς (khlōromélās)
κῠᾰ́νεος (kuáneos); γλαυκός (glaukós), κᾰλάϊνος (kaláïnos)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kuáneos)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kuáneos), ὑᾰκῐ́νθῐνος (huakínthinos)
ἰόεις (ióeis), φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (halourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphúreos), οἶνοψ (oînops)	φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (halourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphúreos)	ῥόδινος (rhódinos), ῥοδόεις (rhodóeis)

References

• “ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ξανθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ξανθός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ξανθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ξανθός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • auburn idem, page 52.
  • blonde idem, page 84.
  • brown idem, page 101.
  • buff idem, page 102.
  • flaxen idem, page 327.
  • golden idem, page 366.
  • orange idem, page 578.
  • russet idem, page 728.
  • sandy idem, page 733.
  • tawny idem, page 857.
  • yellow idem, page 995.
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1033

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós).

Adjective

ξανθός • (xanthós) m (feminine ξανθή or ξανθιά, neuter ξανθό)

1. blonde, blond, fair, flaxen, tawny

   ξανθά μαλλιά, όπως το μέλι ― xanthá malliá, ópos to méli ― blonde hair like honey

2. golden

   ξανθό στάχυ ― xanthó stáchy ― golden ear (of corn)

Declension

Declension of ξανθός

number  case \ gender	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ξανθός •	ξανθή • / ξανθιά •	ξανθό •	ξανθοί •	ξανθές •	ξανθά •
genitive	ξανθού •	ξανθής • / ξανθιάς •	ξανθού •	ξανθών •	ξανθών •	ξανθών •
accusative	ξανθό •	ξανθή • / ξανθιά •	ξανθό •	ξανθούς •	ξανθές •	ξανθά •
vocative	ξανθέ •	ξανθή • / ξανθιά •	ξανθό •	ξανθοί •	ξανθές •	ξανθά •
derivations	Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο ξανθός, etc.) Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο ξανθός, etc.)

Derived terms

• ξανθή σταφίδα f (xanthí stafída, “sultana, golden raisin”)