σαρδάνιος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain, but since antiquity it is often cited as deriving from the Sardinian plant (), known as either σαρδάνη (sardánē) or σαρδόνιον (sardónion). When eaten, it would cause the eater's face to contort in a look resembling scorn (generally followed by death).

It have also been compared with σέσηρα (sésēra, “to show teeth”) and σαίρω (saírō, “to grin”).

Alternatively, Kretschmer tried to connect the name of the Šardana people living near Egypt, although the details remain unclear.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /sar.dá.ni.os/ → /sarˈða.ni.os/ → /sarˈða.ni.os/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sar.dá.ni.os/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /sarˈda.ni.os/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sarˈða.ni.os/

Adjective

σαρδάνῐος • (sardánios) m (feminine σαρδᾰνίᾱ, neuter σαρδάνῐον); first/second declension

1. (of laughter or smiles) scornful, bitter, grim

Inflection

First and second declension of σαρδάνῐος; σαρδανῐ́ᾱ; σαρδάνῐον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		σαρδάνῐος sardánios	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδάνῐον sardánion		σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō		σαρδάνῐοι sardánioi	σαρδάνῐαι sardániai	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia
Genitive		σαρδανῐ́ου sardaníou	σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardaníās	σαρδανῐ́ου sardaníou		σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin	σαρδανῐ́αιν sardaníain	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin		σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn	σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn	σαρδανῐ́ων sardaníōn
Dative		σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardaníōi	σαρδανῐ́ᾳ sardaníāi	σαρδανῐ́ῳ sardaníōi		σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin	σαρδανῐ́αιν sardaníain	σαρδανῐ́οιν sardaníoin		σαρδανῐ́οις sardaníois	σαρδανῐ́αις sardaníais	σαρδανῐ́οις sardaníois
Accusative		σαρδάνῐον sardánion	σαρδανῐ́ᾱν sardaníān	σαρδάνῐον sardánion		σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō		σαρδανῐ́ους sardaníous	σαρδανῐ́ᾱς sardaníās	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia
Vocative		σαρδάνῐε sardánie	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδάνῐον sardánion		σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō	σαρδανῐ́ᾱ sardaníā	σαρδανῐ́ω sardaníō		σαρδάνῐοι sardánioi	σαρδάνῐαι sardániai	σαρδάνῐᾰ sardánia
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		σαρδανῐ́ως sardaníōs				σαρδανῐώτερος sardaniṓteros				σαρδανῐώτᾰτος sardaniṓtatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• σαρδόνιος (sardónios)

Further reading

• “σαρδάνιος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σαρδάνιος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• σαρδάνιος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963