σθένος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. The cluster /stʰ/ is unusual for Ancient Greek terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European. However several hypotheses for an Indo-European derivation exist:

• Cognate with Old English stīþ (“hard, cruel, violent”) (English stith (“stiff, hard”))

• Cognate with Proto-Germanic *segaz (“victory”).

• From the zero-grade *sgʷʰ- of a root *segʷʰ-, whence also Sanskrit सघ्नोति (saghnóti, “to be a match for, be equal to (a task)”) and Avestan 𐬀𐬰𐬔𐬀𐬙𐬀 (a-zg-ata-, “irresistible (?)”), plus an uncertain suffix *-énos.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /stʰé.nos/ → /ˈsθe.nos/ → /ˈsθe.nos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /stʰé.nos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈstʰe.nos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/

Noun

σθένος • (sthénos) n (genitive σθένεος or σθένους); third declension

1. strength, might, power

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ σθένος; τοῦ σθένους (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	τὸ σθένος tò sthénos
Genitive	τοῦ σθένους toû sthénous
Dative	τῷ σθένει tôi sthénei
Accusative	τὸ σθένος tò sthénos
Vocative	σθένος sthénos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of σθένος; σθένεος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	σθένος sthénos
Genitive	σθένεος / σθένευς sthéneos / sthéneus
Dative	σθένει / σθένεῐ̈ sthénei / sthéneï
Accusative	σθένος sthénos
Vocative	σθένος sthénos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• Αλκισθένη (Alkisthénē)
• Ἀντισθένης (Antisthénēs)
• ἀσθενής (asthenḗs)
• Δεινοσθένης (Deinosthénēs)
• Δημοσθένης (Dēmosthénēs)
• Ἐρᾰτοσθένης (Eratosthénēs)
• Εὐρυσθένης (Eurusthénēs)
• Καλλισθένης (Kallisthénēs)
• Κλεισθένης (Kleisthénēs)
• Λεωσθένης (Leōsthénēs)
• Μεγᾰσθένης (Megasthénēs)
• Σθένελος (Sthénelos)
• Σθενέλᾱος (Sthenélāos)
• Σθενώ (Sthenṓ)
• Τιμοσθένης (Timosthénēs)
• Ᾰ̓νδροσθένης (Androsthénēs)

 

Descendants

• Greek: σθένος (sthénos)

Further reading

• “σθένος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σθένος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• σθένος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • force idem, page 335.
  • lustiness idem, page 505.
  • might idem, page 528.
  • power idem, page 630.
  • strength idem, page 824.
  • thews idem, page 865.
  • vigour idem, page 952.

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Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σθένος (sthénos).

Noun

σθένος • (sthénos) n

1. moral or emotional strength, might, power
2. (chemistry) valence, valency
3. (grammar, linguistics) valency (number of grammatical arguments a verb can take)

Declension

Declension of σθένος

	singular	plural
nominative	σθένος •	σθένη •
genitive	σθένους •	σθενών •
accusative	σθένος •	σθένη •
vocative	σθένος •	σθένη •

Further reading

• “σθένος”, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998