σκηνή

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Loanword from a Semitic source (most likely Phoenician) meaning "dwelling." Compare (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Arabic س ك ن (s-k-n) and Hebrew שכן. Theatrical sense from a tent or booth in the back of a classical Greek theater where actors would prepare.

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 têi skēnêi	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

• προσκήνιον (proskḗnion)
• σκηνέω (skēnéō)
• σκηνικός (skēnikós)
• σκηνίτης (skēnítēs)
• σκηνοβατέω (skēnobatéō)
• σκηνογράφος (skēnográphos)
• σκηνοθήκη (skēnothḗkē)
• σκηνοπηγία (skēnopēgía)
• σκηνοποιός (skēnopoiós)
• σκηνορράφος (skēnorrháphos)
• σκήνωσις (skḗnōsis)

Descendants

• → Coptic: ⲥⲕⲩⲛⲏ (skunē)
• → English: skene
• Greek: σκηνή (skiní)
• → Latin: scēna, scaena
  • Catalan: escena
  • → German: Szene
    • → Russian: сцена (scena)
  • Italian: scena
    • → English: scena
  • Middle French: scene
    • → English: scene
    • French: scène
      • → Dutch: scène
    • Norman: scène
  • Portuguese: cena
  • Romanian: scenă
  • → Serbo-Croatian: сцена, scena
  • Spanish: escena

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.

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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. tent

Declension

Declension of σκηνή

	singular	plural
nominative	σκηνή •	σκηνές •
genitive	σκηνής •	σκηνών •
accusative	σκηνή •	σκηνές •
vocative	σκηνή •	σκηνές •

Related terms

• σκηνικό n (skinikó, “scenery, scene”)
• σκηνικός (skinikós, “stage, scene”) (adjective)