σκηνή

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Usually said to be a derivative of Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- (“shade, shadow”), originally referring to a light construction of cloth hung between tree branches to provide a shadow which could be used for shelter and other activities, though the vocalism is difficult to explain as full grade *sḱeh₃- gives σκω (skō) and zero grade *sḱh₃- gives σκο (sko).

Alternatively, possibly a Semitic loanword related to Hebrew שָׁכַן (shakhán) and Arabic سَكَنَ (sakana, “to dwell, reside, inhabit”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /skɛː.nɛ̌ː/ → /sciˈni/ → /sciˈni/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /skɛː.nɛ̌ː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ske̝ˈne̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sciˈni/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sciˈni/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sciˈni/

Noun

σκηνή • (skēnḗ) f (genitive σκηνῆς); first declension

1. tent
2. (theater) stage

Inflection

First declension of ἡ σκηνή; τῆς σκηνῆς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ σκηνή hē skēnḗ	τὼ σκηνᾱ́ tṑ skēnā́	αἱ σκηναί hai skēnaí
Genitive	τῆς σκηνῆς tês skēnês	τοῖν σκηναῖν toîn skēnaîn	τῶν σκηνῶν tôn skēnôn
Dative	τῇ σκηνῇ tēî skēnēî	τοῖν σκηναῖν toîn skēnaîn	ταῖς σκηναῖς taîs skēnaîs
Accusative	τὴν σκηνήν tḕn skēnḗn	τὼ σκηνᾱ́ tṑ skēnā́	τᾱ̀ς σκηνᾱ́ς tā̀s skēnā́s
Vocative	σκηνή skēnḗ	σκηνᾱ́ skēnā́	σκηναί skēnaí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἐπισκηνόω (episkēnóō)
• προσκήνιον (proskḗnion)
• σκηνάω (skēnáō)
• σκηνέω (skēnéō)
• σκηνικός (skēnikós)
• σκηνίτης (skēnítēs)
• σκηνοβατέω (skēnobatéō)
• σκηνογράφος (skēnográphos)
• σκηνοθήκη (skēnothḗkē)
• σκηνοπηγία (skēnopēgía)
• σκηνοποιός (skēnopoiós)
• σκηνορράφος (skēnorrháphos)
• σκηνοφῠ́λᾰξ (skēnophŭ́lăx)
• σκηνόω (skēnóō)
• σκήνωσις (skḗnōsis)

Descendants

• Greek: σκηνή (skiní)
• → Coptic: ⲥⲕⲩⲛⲏ (skunē)
• → English: skene
• → Latin: scaena, scēna (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• “σκηνή”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σκηνή in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• G4633 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.
  • booth idem, page 89.
  • cabin idem, page 108.
  • canopy idem, page 111.
  • canvas idem, page 111.
  • dwelling idem, page 257.
  • hut idem, page 412.
  • pavilion idem, page 599.
  • scene idem, page 738.
  • scenery idem, page 738.
  • shanty idem, page 762.
  • stage idem, page 808.
  • temple idem, page 860.
  • tent idem, page 862.
• σκηνή, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σκηνή (skēnḗ, “theatre stage”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sciˈni]
• Homophone: σκοινί (skoiní)

Noun

σκηνή • (skiní) f (plural σκηνές)

1. (Ancient Greek theatre) skene
2. (theater) scene, stage
3. incident, scene (where an incident occurred)

   η σκηνή εγκλήματος.

   i skiní egklímatos.

   the crime scene.

4. tent

   Synonym: τέντα (ténta)

Declension

Declension of σκηνή

	singular	plural
nominative	σκηνή (skiní)	σκηνές (skinés)
genitive	σκηνής (skinís)	σκηνών (skinón)
accusative	σκηνή (skiní)	σκηνές (skinés)
vocative	σκηνή (skiní)	σκηνές (skinés)

Related terms

• αντίσκηνο n (antískino, “small tent, bivvy”)
• σκηνικό n (skinikó, “scenery, scene”)
• σκηνικός (skinikós, “stage, scene”, adjective)