-εια

See also: -εία, -εῖα, εἴα, and εἶα

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /eː.a/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /i.a/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /i.a/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /i.a/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /i.a/

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *-ēs

Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der.

Ancient Greek -ῐᾰ (-ĭă)

Ancient Greek -εια

From σ-stem adjectives in -ης (-ēs) or -ής (-ḗs) +‎ -ῐᾰ (-ĭă), equivalent to *-εσια (*-esia) and *-esih₂.

Suffix

-ειᾰ • (-eiă) f (genitive -είᾱς); first declension

Superficially appears in abstract nouns derived from σ-stem adjectives, with the true suffix being -ῐᾰ (-ĭă)
‎ἀληθής (alēthḗs, “true”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎ἀλήθεια (alḗtheia, “truth”)

‎ἐνδεής (endeḗs, “lacking”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎ἔνδεια (éndeia, “lack”)

‎πολυμαθής (polumathḗs, “fele-knowing”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎πολυμάθεια (polumátheia, “polymathy”)

‎ἐπιμελής (epimelḗs, “caring”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎ἐπιμέλεια (epiméleia, “care”)
Forming action nouns from verbs, skipping an intermediate adjective in -ης
‎μεταμέλομαι (metamélomai, “I regret”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎μεταμέλεια (metaméleia, “regret, repentance”)

‎ὠφελέω (ōpheléō, “I help, am useful”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎ὠφέλεια (ōphéleia, “help, benefit”)

Derived terms

Ancient Greek terms suffixed with -εια (base-σ)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek -υς (-us)?

Ancient Greek -εύς (-eús)?

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der.

Ancient Greek -ῐᾰ (-ĭă)

Ancient Greek -εια

From -υς (-us, adjective suffix) or -εύς (-eús, masculine agent noun suffix) +‎ -ῐᾰ (-ĭă, feminine suffix), equivalent to *-εϝῐᾰ (*-ewĭă). Nouns formed with this suffix always have recessive accent, while feminine adjectives have accent on the penult if the corresponding masculine form has accent on the ultima.

Suffix

-ειᾰ • (-eiă) f (genitive -είᾱς); first declension

Added to various stems to form feminine nouns of person or thing concerned
‎ἱερός (hierós, “holy”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎ἱέρειᾰ (hiéreiă, “priestess”)

‎Καῖσᾰρ (Kaîsăr, “Caesar”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎Καισᾰ́ρειᾰ (Kaisắreiă, “Caesarea”)
Added to adjectival stems to form a feminine form
‎γλυκ-ύς m (gluk-ús, “sweet”) + ‎-εια (-eia) → ‎γλυκεῖα f (glukeîa, “sweet”)

Declension

First declension of -ειᾰ; -ειᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-ειᾰ -eiă	-ειᾱ -eiā	-ειαι -eiai
Genitive	-ειᾱς -eiās	-ειαιν -eiain	-ειῶν -eiôn
Dative	-ειᾳ -eiāi	-ειαιν -eiain	-ειαις -eiais
Accusative	-ειᾰν -eiăn	-ειᾱ -eiā	-ειᾱς -eiās
Vocative	-ειᾰ -eiă	-ειᾱ -eiā	-ειαι -eiai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

Ancient Greek terms suffixed with -εια (base-υ)