ἄλγος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Perhaps from ἀλέγω (alégō, “I heed, trouble myself”), but there are semantic difficulties.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ál.ɡos/ → /ˈal.ɣos/ → /ˈal.ɣos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ál.ɡos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ɡos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ɣos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ɣos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ɣos/

Noun

ἄλγος • (álgos) n (genitive ἄλγεος or ἄλγους); third declension

1. pain (of either mind or body), sorrow, trouble, grief, distress, woe
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.1–2:

     Μῆνιν ἄειδε, θεά, Πηληιάδεω Ἀχιλῆος οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρί’ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε’ ἔθηκε.

     Mênin áeide, theá, Pēlēiádeō Akhilêos ouloménēn, hḕ murí’ Akhaioîs álge’ éthēke.

     • Translation by Samuel Butler

       Sing, O goddess, the rage of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.

2. that which causes pain

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ ᾰ̓́λγος; τοῦ ᾰ̓́λγους (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ᾰ̓́λγος tò álgos	τὼ ᾰ̓́λγει tṑ álgei	τᾰ̀ ᾰ̓́λγη tà álgē
Genitive	τοῦ ᾰ̓́λγους toû álgous	τοῖν ᾰ̓λγοῖν toîn algoîn	τῶν ᾰ̓λγῶν tôn algôn
Dative	τῷ ᾰ̓́λγει tôi álgei	τοῖν ᾰ̓λγοῖν toîn algoîn	τοῖς ᾰ̓́λγεσῐ / ᾰ̓́λγεσῐν toîs álgesi(n)
Accusative	τὸ ᾰ̓́λγος tò álgos	τὼ ᾰ̓́λγει tṑ álgei	τᾰ̀ ᾰ̓́λγη tà álgē
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λγος álgos	ᾰ̓́λγει álgei	ᾰ̓́λγη álgē
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ᾰ̓́λγος; ᾰ̓́λγεος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ᾰ̓́λγος álgos	ᾰ̓́λγει / ᾰ̓́λγεε álgei / álgee	ᾰ̓́λγεᾰ álgea
Genitive	ᾰ̓́λγεος / ᾰ̓́λγευς álgeos / álgeus	ᾰ̓λγέοιν algéoin	ᾰ̓λγέων algéōn
Dative	ᾰ̓́λγει / ᾰ̓́λγεῐ̈ álgei / álgeï	ᾰ̓λγέοιν algéoin	ᾰ̓́λγεσῐ / ᾰ̓́λγεσῐν álgesi(n)
Accusative	ᾰ̓́λγος álgos	ᾰ̓́λγει / ᾰ̓́λγεε álgei / álgee	ᾰ̓́λγεᾰ álgea
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λγος álgos	ᾰ̓́λγει / ᾰ̓́λγεε álgei / álgee	ᾰ̓́λγεᾰ álgea
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Synonyms

• πόνος (pónos)

Derived terms

• ἀλγεινός (algeinós)
• ἀλγέω (algéō)
• ἀλγηδών (algēdṓn)
• ἄλγημα (álgēma)
• ἄλγησις (álgēsis)
• ἀλγινόεις (alginóeis)
• ἀλγύνω (algúnō)
• ἀναλγής (analgḗs)
• ἀναλγησίᾱ (analgēsíā)
• ἀνάλγητος (análgētos)
• ἀπαλγέω (apalgéō)
• γλωσσαλγίᾱ (glōssalgíā)
• διαλγέω (dialgéō)
• διαλγής (dialgḗs)
• δυσαλγής (dusalgḗs)
• ἐπαλγέω (epalgéō)
• θῡμαλγής (thūmalgḗs)
• καρδιαλγία (kardialgía)
• καταλγέω (katalgéō)
• κεφαλαλγέω (kephalalgéō)
• κεφαλαλγής (kephalalgḗs)
• κεφαλαλγία (kephalalgía)
• περιαλγέω (perialgéō)
• περιαλγής (perialgḗs)
• ποδαλγίᾱ (podalgíā)
• συναλγέω (sunalgéō)
• ὑπεραλγέω (huperalgéō)
• ὑπεραλγής (huperalgḗs)

 

Descendants

• English: -algia, -algy, analgesic, nostalgia
• Greek: άλγος n (álgos, “pain”)

References

• “ἄλγος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἄλγος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἄλγος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἄλγος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἄλγος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἄλγος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “ἄλγος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • ache idem, page 8.
  • anguish idem, page 29.
  • grief idem, page 373.
  • heaviness idem, page 393.
  • lamentation idem, page 474.
  • melancholy idem, page 524.
  • misery idem, page 534.
  • pain idem, page 588.
  • sadness idem, page 730.
  • smart idem, page 786.
  • sorrow idem, page 795.
  • torment idem, page 881.
  • unhappiness idem, page 920.