οὐροβόρος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

A compound of οὐρά (ourá, “tail”) + -βόρος (-bóros, “-devouring”, “-swallowing”), which is derived from the verb βιβρώσκω (bibrṓskō, “to eat up”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /uː.ro.bó.ros/ → /u.roˈβo.ros/ → /u.roˈvo.ros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /uː.ro.bó.ros/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /u.roˈbo.ros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /u.roˈβo.ros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /u.roˈvo.ros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /u.roˈvo.ros/

Adjective

οὐροβόρος • (ourobóros) m or f (neuter οὐροβόρον); second declension

1. devouring its tail

Inflection

Second declension of οὐροβόρος; οὐροβόρον (Attic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		οὐροβόρος ourobóros	οὐροβόρον ourobóron		οὐροβόρω ourobórō	οὐροβόρω ourobórō		οὐροβόροι ourobóroi	οὐροβόρᾰ ourobóra
Genitive		οὐροβόρου ourobórou	οὐροβόρου ourobórou		οὐροβόροιν ourobóroin	οὐροβόροιν ourobóroin		οὐροβόρων ourobórōn	οὐροβόρων ourobórōn
Dative		οὐροβόρῳ ourobórōi	οὐροβόρῳ ourobórōi		οὐροβόροιν ourobóroin	οὐροβόροιν ourobóroin		οὐροβόροις ourobórois	οὐροβόροις ourobórois
Accusative		οὐροβόρον ourobóron	οὐροβόρον ourobóron		οὐροβόρω ourobórō	οὐροβόρω ourobórō		οὐροβόρους ourobórous	οὐροβόρᾰ ourobóra
Vocative		οὐροβόρε ourobóre	οὐροβόρον ourobóron		οὐροβόρω ourobórō	οὐροβόρω ourobórō		οὐροβόροι ourobóroi	οὐροβόρᾰ ourobóra
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		οὐροβόρως ourobórōs			οὐροβορώτερος ouroborṓteros			οὐροβορώτᾰτος ouroborṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• English: ouroboros
• Italian: uroboro

Further reading

• “οὐροβόρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• οὐροβόρος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette