θάλασσα

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Ancient Greek

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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According to Beekes, a Pre-Greek substrate borrowing tentatively reconstructed as *talakya;[1][2] the element "-σσ-", as well as the local geographic meaning, points to a Pre-Greek origin. Compare the possible cognate Luwian 𒀀𒆷𒀸𒊭𒄠𒈪𒅖.

Older theories related the word to ἅλς (háls, salt), cf. Latin sāl (salt), salum (sea), Salacia (sea goddess).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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θᾰ́λᾰσσᾰ (thálassaf (genitive θᾰλᾰ́σσης); first declension

  1. sea
    Synonyms: πέλαγος (pélagos), πόντος (póntos)
  2. the Mediterranean Sea
  3. channel
  4. salt water

Inflection

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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References

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  1. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “θάλασσα”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 530
  2. ^ https://www.robertbeekes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/b124.pdf

Further reading

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Greek

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Etymology

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From Ancient Greek θάλασσα (thálassa). Cognate with Tsakonian θάσσα (thássa, sea), Mariupol Greek тъа́ласа (θálasa).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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θάλασσα (thálassaf (plural θάλασσες)

  1. sea
    Βαλτική Θάλασσα, Μεσόγειος ΘάλασσαValtikí Thálassa, Mesógeios ThálassaBaltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea
  2. sea (all the seas and oceans)
    Πήγε στη θάλασσα.
    Píge sti thálassa.
    He went to sea.
  3. storm
    πολύ θάλασσαpolý thálassaheavy seas, stormy weather

Usage notes

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  • ωκεανός m (okeanós, ocean) (e.g. Atlantic, Pacific)
  • θάλασσα f (thálassa, larger sea) (e.g. Mediterranean, Baltic, Caribbean)
  • πέλαγος n (pélagos, smaller sea) (e.g. Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian)

Declension

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Further reading

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