σίδηρος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• σῐ́δηρον n (sĭ́dēron) — Epic, Ionic
• σῐ́δᾱρος (sĭ́dāros) — Doric

Etymology

Unclear and debated:

• One view compares it with Latin sīdus (“constellation; meteorite”), with this possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- (“to sweat”), whence Latin sūdor (“sweat; moisture”), Ancient Greek ἱδρώς (hidrṓs, “sweat; perspiration”), English sweat.
• One theory connects the word to words for "silver", such as Lithuanian sidãbras and English silver.
• Another theory compares it with Udi zido (“iron”), indicating a Northeast Caucasian loanword. This is quite feasible, as the Greeks likely first learned of iron from Asia Minor.
• Finally, the word is very likely of Pre-Greek origin given its semantics, which has been compared with Ancient Greek σίδη (sídē, “pomegranate”), linked to the reconstruction *sida (“red”) thereby giving the meaning of σίδηρος (sídēros) as "red metal" (perhaps in relation to its red oxide ores and minerals).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /sí.dɛː.ros/ → /ˈsi.ði.ros/ → /ˈsi.ði.ros/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sí.dɛː.ros/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.de̝.ros/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ros/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ros/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ros/

Noun

σῐ́δηρος • (sĭ́dēros) m (genitive σῐδήρου); second declension

1. iron
   • c. 90 AD, John of Patmos, Book of Revelation 18:12:

     γόμον χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ λίθου τιμίου καὶ μαργαρίτου καὶ βυσσίνου καὶ σηρικοῦ καὶ κοκκίνου, καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐκ ξύλου τιμιωτάτου καὶ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου καὶ μαρμάρου, […]

     gómon khrusoû kaì argúrou kaì líthou timíou kaì margarítou kaì bussínou kaì sērikoû kaì kokkínou, kaì pân xúlon thúïnon kaì pân skeûos elephántinon kaì pân skeûos ek xúlou timiōtátou kaì khalkoû kaì sidḗrou kaì marmárou, […]

     The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, […]

2. iron tool; iron implement
3. sword
4. sickle
5. blacksmith's shop; smithy
6. (figurative) a symbol of:
   1. hardness
   2. firmness
   3. relentlessness

Declension

Second declension of ὁ σῐ́δηρος; τοῦ σῐδήρου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σῐ́δηρος ho sĭ́dēros	τὼ σῐδήρω tṑ sĭdḗrō	οἱ σῐ́δηροι hoi sĭ́dēroi
Genitive	τοῦ σῐδήρου toû sĭdḗrou	τοῖν σῐδήροιν toîn sĭdḗroin	τῶν σῐδήρων tôn sĭdḗrōn
Dative	τῷ σῐδήρῳ tōî sĭdḗrōi	τοῖν σῐδήροιν toîn sĭdḗroin	τοῖς σῐδήροις toîs sĭdḗrois
Accusative	τὸν σῐ́δηρον tòn sĭ́dēron	τὼ σῐδήρω tṑ sĭdḗrō	τοὺς σῐδήρους toùs sĭdḗrous
Vocative	σῐ́δηρε sĭ́dēre	σῐδήρω sĭdḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sĭ́dēroi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of σῐ́δηρος; σῐδήροιο / σῐδήροο / σῐδήρου (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	σῐ́δηρος sĭ́dēros	σῐδήρω sĭdḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sĭ́dēroi
Genitive	σῐδήροιο / σῐδήροο / σῐδήρου sĭdḗroio / sĭdḗroo / sĭdḗrou	σῐδήροιῐ̈ν sĭdḗroiĭ̈n	σῐδήρων sĭdḗrōn
Dative	σῐδήρῳ sĭdḗrōi	σῐδήροιῐ̈ν sĭdḗroiĭ̈n	σῐδήροισῐ / σῐδήροισῐν / σῐδήροις sĭdḗroisĭ(n) / sĭdḗrois
Accusative	σῐ́δηρον sĭ́dēron	σῐδήρω sĭdḗrō	σῐδήρους sĭdḗrous
Vocative	σῐ́δηρε sĭ́dēre	σῐδήρω sĭdḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sĭ́dēroi
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Second declension of ὁ σῐ́δηρος; τοῦ σῐδήρου (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σῐ́δηρος ho sĭ́dēros	τὼ σῐδήρω tṑ sĭdḗrō	οἱ σῐ́δηροι hoi sĭ́dēroi
Genitive	τοῦ σῐδήρου toû sĭdḗrou	τοῖν σῐδήροιν toîn sĭdḗroin	τῶν σῐδήρων tôn sĭdḗrōn
Dative	τῷ σῐδήρῳ tōî sĭdḗrōi	τοῖν σῐδήροιν toîn sĭdḗroin	τοῖσῐ / τοῖσῐν σῐδήροισῐ / σῐδήροισῐν toîsĭ(n) sĭdḗroisĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸν σῐ́δηρον tòn sĭ́dēron	τὼ σῐδήρω tṑ sĭdḗrō	τοὺς σῐδήρους toùs sĭdḗrous
Vocative	σῐ́δηρε sĭ́dēre	σῐδήρω sĭdḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sĭ́dēroi
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ᾰ̓κροσῐ́δηρος (ăkrosĭ́dēros, “pointed or tipped with iron”)
• ᾰ̓σῐ́δηρος (ăsĭ́dēros, “not of iron”)
• αὐτοσῐ́δηρος (autosĭ́dēros, “of sheer iron”)
• βᾰρῠσῐ́δηρος (bărŭsĭ́dēros, “heavy with iron”)
• βρᾰχῠσῐ́δηρος (brăkhŭsĭ́dēros, “with a short, small head”) (of a dart)
• εὐσῐ́δηρος (eusĭ́dēros, “well-ironed”)
• κᾰτᾰσῐδηρόω (kătăsĭdēróō, “to plate with iron”)
• κᾰτᾰσῐδηρῶ (kătăsĭdērô, “to plate with iron”)
• μᾰκροσῐ́δηρος (măkrosĭ́dēros)
• ὁλοσῐ́δηρος (holosĭ́dēros, “all iron”)
• περῐσῐδηρόομαι (perĭsĭdēróomai, “to be cased with iron”)
• περῐσῐ́δηρος (perĭsĭ́dēros, “cased with iron”)
• περῐσῐδηροῦμαι (perĭsĭdēroûmai, “to be cased with iron”)
• σῐδηρᾰγωγός (sĭdērăgōgós, “attracting iron”)
• σῐδηρείᾱ (sĭdēreíā, “working in iron”)
• σῐδηρεῖᾰ (sĭdēreîă, “iron-works; iron-mines”)
• σῐδήρειος (sĭdḗreios, “made of iron”)
• σῐδηρένδετος (sĭdēréndetos, “iron-banded”)
• σῐδηρεόεις (sĭdēreóeis, “made of iron”)
• σῐδήρεος (sĭdḗreos, “made of iron”)
• σῐδηρεύς (sĭdēreús, “ironsmith”)
• σῐδηρεύω (sĭdēreúō, “to work in iron”)
• σῐδηρήεις (sĭdērḗeis, “made of iron”)
• σῐδηρῐ́ζω (sĭdērĭ́zō, “to be like iron”)
• σῐδήρῐον (sĭdḗrĭon, “implement”)
• σῐδηρῐουργός (sĭdērĭourgós, “ironsmith”)
• σῐδηρῐ́σκος (sĭdērĭ́skos, a medical instrument)
• σῐδηρῑ́της (sĭdērī́tēs, “of iron”)
• σῐδηρῖτῐς (sĭdērîtĭs, “ironwort”)
• σῐδηροβᾰστᾰγή (sĭdērobăstăgḗ, “provision; supply of iron”)
• σῐδηρόβᾰφος (sĭdēróbăphos, “of ferruginous colour”)
• σῐδηροβόλῐον (sĭdērobólĭon, “anchor”)
• σῐδηροβόρος (sĭdērobóros, “a file”)
• σῐδηροβρῑθής (sĭdērobrīthḗs, “iron-loaded”)
• σῐδηροβρώς (sĭdērobrṓs, “iron-eating”)
• σῐδηροδᾰ́κτῠλος (sĭdērodắktŭlos, “iron-fingered”)
• σῐδηροδέσμος (sĭdērodésmos, “with bonds of iron”)
• σῐδηροδετέω (sĭdērodetéō, “to bind in iron”)
• σῐδηρόδετος (sĭdēródetos, “iron-bound”)
• σῐδηροδετῶ (sĭdērodetô, “to bind in iron”)
• σῐδηρόεις (sĭdēróeis, “made of iron”)
• σῐδηροθήκη (sĭdērothḗkē, “armoury”)
• σῐδηροθώρᾱξ (sĭdērothṓrāx, “with iron breastplate”)
• σῐδηροκᾰτᾰ́δῐκος (sĭdērokătắdĭkos, “mutilated by a blade”, literally “condemned to the iron”)
• σῐδηροκμής (sĭdērokmḗs, “slain by iron”)
• σῐδηροκόλεος (sĭdērokóleos, “iron-sheathed”)
• σῐδηροκόντρᾰ (sĭdērokóntră, “with barbed iron spears”)
• σῐδηροκόπος (sĭdērokópos, “ironsmith”)
• σῐδηρόκωπος (sĭdērókōpos, “armed with iron”)
• σῐδηρομήτωρ (sĭdēromḗtōr, “mother of iron”)
• σῐδηρονόμος (sĭdēronómos, “distributing with iron”)
• σῐδηρόνωτος (sĭdērónōtos, “iron-backed”)
• σῐδηροπέδη (sĭdēropédē, “iron fetter”)
• σῐδηρόπλᾰστος (sĭdēróplăstos, “moulded of iron”)
• σῐδηρόπληκτος (sĭdēróplēktos, “smitten by iron”)
• σῐδηρόπλοκος (sĭdēróplokos, “plaited of iron”)
• σῐδηροπλῠ́της (sĭdēroplŭ́tēs, “one who washes iron”)
• σῐδηροποίκῐλος (sĭdēropoíkĭlos, a variegated stone)
• σῐδηρόπους (sĭdērópous, “iron-footed”)
• σῐδηρόπτερος (sĭdērópteros, “iron-winged”)
• σῐδηροπώλης (sĭdēropṓlēs, “ironmonger”)
• σῐδηρόσπᾰρτος (sĭdēróspărtos, “sown by iron”)
• σῐδηροσφᾰγῐ́ᾱ (sĭdērosphăgĭ́ā, “slaying with the sword”)
• σῐδηροτέκτων (sĭdērotéktōn, “worker in iron”)
• σῐδηρότευκτος (sĭdēróteuktos, “wrought of iron”)
• σῐδηροτόκος (sĭdērotókos, “producing iron”)
• σῐδηροτομέω (sĭdērotoméō, “to cut with iron”)
• σῐδηροτομῶ (sĭdērotomô, “to cut with iron”)
• σῐδηρότροχος (sĭdērótrokhos, “with iron wheels”)
• σῐδηροτρῡ́πᾰνον (sĭdērotrū́pănon, “iron borer”)
• σῐδηρότρωτος (sĭdērótrōtos, “wounded with iron”)
• σῐδηρουργεῖον (sĭdērourgeîon, “iron-mine”)
• σῐδηρουργῐ́ᾱ (sĭdērourgĭ́ā, “working in iron”)
• σῐδηρουργός (sĭdērourgós, “iron-worker; smith”)
• σῐδηροῦς (sĭdēroûs, “made of iron”)
• σῐδηροφᾰ́γος (sĭdērophắgos, “eating into iron”)
• σῐδηροφορέω (sĭdērophoréō, “to bear iron”)
• σῐδηροφόρος (sĭdērophóros, “producing iron”)
• σῐδηροφορῶ (sĭdērophorô, “to bear iron”)
• σῐδηρόφρων (sĭdēróphrōn, “of iron heart”)
• σῐδηροφῠής (sĭdērophŭḗs, “of iron nature”)
• σῐδηροχᾰλκεύς (sĭdērokhălkeús, “smith”)
• σῐδηρόχᾰλκος (sĭdērókhălkos, “of iron and copper”)
• σῐδηροχᾰ́ρμης (sĭdērokhắrmēs, “fighting”)
• σῐδηροχῐ́των (sĭdērokhĭ́tōn, “with iron tunic”)
• σῐδηρόψῡχος (sĭdērópsūkhos, “iron-hearted”)
• σῐδηρόω (sĭdēróō, “to overlay with iron”)
• σῐδηρῶ (sĭdērô, “to overlay with iron”)
• σῐδηρώδης (sĭdērṓdēs, “of iron”)
• σῐδήρωμᾰ (sĭdḗrōmă, “iron fittings”)
• σῐδηρωρῠχεῖον (sĭdērōrŭkheîon, “iron-mine”)
• σῐδήρωσῐς (sĭdḗrōsĭs, “iron-work”)
• σῐδηρωτός (sĭdērōtós, “iron-bound”)
• τμητοσῐ́δηρος (tmētosĭ́dēros, “cut down with iron”)
• ῠ̔ποσῐ́δηρος (hŭposĭ́dēros, “having a mixture or proportion of iron in it”)
• ῠ̔ποσῐδηρόω (hŭposĭdēróō, “to gild with iron”)
• ῠ̔ποσῐδηρῶ (hŭposĭdērô, “to gild with iron”)
• χειροσῐδήρῐον (kheirosĭdḗrĭon, “grapnel; grappling hook”)

Further reading

• “σίδηρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “σίδηρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “σίδηρος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• σίδηρος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• σίδηρος in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• G4604 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • axe idem, page 57.
  • brand idem, page 93.
  • iron idem, page 459.
  • pick-axe idem, page 611.
  • rapier idem, page 672.
  • steel idem, page 815.
  • sword idem, page 849.
• σίδηρος, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

Greek

Alternative forms

• σίδερο n (sídero) (the everyday name for the metal)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σίδηρος (sídēros), whence also the vernacular forms Byzantine Greek σίδερον n (síderon) and σίδερο (sídero) (an etymological doublet). See σίδηρος (sídēros) for the ultimately disputed etymology.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ɾos/

Noun

σίδηρος • (sídiros) m (usually uncountable, plural σίδηροι)

1. (chemistry) iron (chemical element)
2. (formal) iron: Εποχή του Σιδήρου f (Epochí tou Sidírou, “Iron Age”)

Declension

Declension of σίδηρος

	singular	plural
nominative	σίδηρος (sídiros)	σίδηροι (sídiroi)
genitive	σίδηρου (sídirou) σιδήρου (sidírou)	σίδηρων (sídiron) σιδήρων (sidíron)
accusative	σίδηρο (sídiro)	σίδηρους (sídirous) σιδήρους (sidírous)
vocative	σίδηρε (sídire)	σίδηροι (sídiroi)

Second forms are formal.

Coordinate terms

• Appendix:Greek names for chemical elements

Related terms

• see: σίδερο n (sídero, “iron”, everyday term)
• διά πυρός και σιδήρου (diá pyrós kai sidírou, “trial by fire”, literally “through fire and iron”)
• λευκοσίδηρος m (lefkosídiros, “tin-plate”)
• σιδηρι- (sidiri-, “ferrous (in chemistry)”)
• σιδηρικυανιούχος (sidirikyanioúchos, “ferrocyanide”, adjective)
• σιδηρο- (sidiro-, “ferric (in chemistry)”)
• σιδηροβιομηχανία f (sidiroviomichanía, “iron industry”)
• σιδηροδέσμιος (sidirodésmios, “constrained in chains”, adjective)
• σιδηροδημήτριο n (sidirodimítrio, “ferrocerium”)
• σιδηροδοκός f (sidirodokós, “iron beam”)
• σιδηρόδρομος m (sidiródromos, “railway”)
• σιδηρόκραμα n (sidirókrama, “ferroalloy”)
• σιδηροκυανιούχος (sidirokyanioúchos, “ferricyanide”, adjective)
• σιδηρολοστός m (sidirolostós, “iron crowbar”)
• σιδηρομαγγάνιο n (sidiromangánio, “ferromanganese”)
• σιδηρονικέλιο n (sidironikélio, “ferronickel”)
• σιδηροπαγής (sidiropagís, “reinforced with iron bars”, adjective)
• σιδηροπενία f (sidiropenía, “iron deficiency”)
• σιδηροπυρίτης n (sidiropyrítis, “iron pyrite”)
• σιδηροπωλείο n (sidiropoleío, “ironmongery”)
• σιδηροσωλήνας m (sidirosolínas, “iron pipe”)
• σιδηροτροχιά f (sidirotrochiá, “rails of a railroad”)
• σιδηρουργείο n (sidirourgeío, “blacksmithery”)
• σιδηρουργία f (sidirourgía, “ironworking”)
• σιδηρούχος (sidiroúchos, “ferrous (in metallurgy)”, adjective)
• σιδηροχρώμιο n (sidirochrómio, “ferrochromium”)
• χυτοσίδηρος m (chytosídiros, “cast iron”)

Further reading

• σίδηρος on the Greek Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^el
• σίδηρος, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language