σφραγίς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• σφρηγί̄ς (sphrēgí̄s) — Ionic

Etymology

Formation similar to κληΐς (klēḯs) and κνημίς (knēmís) which points to a secondary derivative. Prellwitz suggested connection with Lithuanian spróga (“crevice”) and Lithuanian sprógti (“to burst”), but this is semantically enigmatic. Furnée takes the word to be Pre-Greek because of the suffix "-ῖδ-".

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /spʰraː.ɡǐːs/ → /sɸraˈʝis/ → /sfraˈʝis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spʰraː.ɡǐːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /spʰraˈɡis/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /sɸraˈʝis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /sfraˈʝis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sfraˈʝis/

Noun

σφρᾱγῑ́ς • (sphrāgī́s) f (genitive σφρᾱγῖδος); third declension

1. seal, signet
2. gem or stone for a ring
3. tablet of Lemnian earth
4. (medicine) pastille

Declension

Third declension of ἡ σφρᾱγῑ́ς; τῆς σφρᾱγῖδος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ σφρᾱγῑ́ς hē sphrāgī́s	τὼ σφρᾱγῖδε tṑ sphrāgîde	αἱ σφρᾱγῖδες hai sphrāgîdes
Genitive	τῆς σφρᾱγῖδος tês sphrāgîdos	τοῖν σφρᾱγῑ́δοιν toîn sphrāgī́doin	τῶν σφρᾱγῑ́δων tôn sphrāgī́dōn
Dative	τῇ σφρᾱγῖδῐ têi sphrāgîdi	τοῖν σφρᾱγῑ́δοιν toîn sphrāgī́doin	ταῖς σφρᾱγῖσῐ / σφρᾱγῖσῐν taîs sphrāgîsi(n)
Accusative	τὴν σφρᾱγῖδᾰ tḕn sphrāgîda	τὼ σφρᾱγῖδε tṑ sphrāgîde	τᾱ̀ς σφρᾱγῖδᾰς tā̀s sphrāgîdas
Vocative	σφρᾱγῑ́ς sphrāgī́s	σφρᾱγῖδε sphrāgîde	σφρᾱγῖδες sphrāgîdes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension. Nominative singular -ς (-s) arose by reduction of the original cluster *-ds.

Derived terms

• σφρᾱγῑ́διον (sphrāgī́dion)
• σφρᾱγῑ́δονυχαργοκομήτης (sphrāgī́donukhargokomḗtēs)
• σφρᾱγῑ́δοφυλάκιον (sphrāgī́dophulákion)
• σφρᾱγίζω (sphrāgízō)
• σφρᾱ́γισμα (sphrā́gisma)
• σφρᾱγισμός (sphrāgismós)
• σφρᾱγιστήρ (sphrāgistḗr)
• σφρᾱγιστήριον (sphrāgistḗrion)
• σφρᾱγιστής (sphrāgistḗs)
• σφρᾱγιστός (sphrāgistós)

 

Descendants

• Greek: σφραγίδα (sfragída)

Further reading

• “σφραγίς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σφραγίς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN