-ων

See also: ὤν, -ῶν, and -ών

Ancient Greek

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɔːn/ → /on/ → /on/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɔːn/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /on/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /on/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /on/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /on/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *-oHom and Proto-Indo-European *-esoHom, genitive plural of Proto-Indo-European *-os (thematic) and Proto-Indo-European *-os (athematic).

Suffix

-ων • (-ōn)

1. Genitive plural of second- and third-declension nouns and adjectives not accented on the ultima
2. Masculine and neuter genitive plural of first- and second-declension not accented on the ultima

Etymology 2

From Proto-Hellenic *-onts, from Proto-Indo-European *-onts.

Suffix

-ων • (-ōn) m (feminine -ουσᾰ, neuter -ον); first/third declension

1. Masculine singular of present, future, and second aorist active participles

Inflection

First and third declension of -ων; -ουσᾰ; -ον (present and future, Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-ων -ōn	-ουσᾰ -ousă	-ον -on		-οντε -onte	-ούσᾱ -oúsā	-οντε -onte		-οντες -ontes	-ουσαι -ousai	-οντᾰ -ontă
Genitive		-οντος -ontos	-ούσης -oúsēs	-οντος -ontos		-όντοιν -óntoin	-ούσαιν -oúsain	-όντοιν -óntoin		-όντων -óntōn	-ουσῶν -ousôn	-όντων -óntōn
Dative		-οντῐ -ontĭ	-ούσῃ -oúsēi	-οντῐ -ontĭ		-όντοιν -óntoin	-ούσαιν -oúsain	-όντοιν -óntoin		-ουσῐ -ουσῐν -ousĭ(n)	-ούσαις -oúsais	-ουσῐ -ουσῐν -ousĭ(n)
Accusative		-οντᾰ -ontă	-ουσᾰν -ousăn	-ον -on		-οντε -onte	-ούσᾱ -oúsā	-οντε -onte		-οντᾰς -ontăs	-ούσᾱς -oúsās	-οντᾰ -ontă
Vocative		-ων -ōn	-ουσᾰ -ousă	-ον -on		-οντε -onte	-ούσᾱ -oúsā	-οντε -onte		-οντες -ontes	-ουσαι -ousai	-οντᾰ -ontă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-όντως -óntōs				—				—
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and third declension of -ών; -οῦσᾰ; -όν (aorist II, Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-ών -ṓn	-οῦσᾰ -oûsă	-όν -ón		-όντε -ónte	-ούσᾱ -oúsā	-όντε -ónte		-όντες -óntes	-οῦσαι -oûsai	-όντᾰ -óntă
Genitive		-όντος -óntos	-ούσης -oúsēs	-όντος -óntos		-όντοιν -óntoin	-ούσαιν -oúsain	-όντοιν -óntoin		-όντων -óntōn	-ουσῶν -ousôn	-όντων -óntōn
Dative		-όντῐ -óntĭ	-ούσῃ -oúsēi	-όντῐ -óntĭ		-όντοιν -óntoin	-ούσαιν -oúsain	-όντοιν -óntoin		-οῦσῐ -οῦσῐν -oûsĭ(n)	-ούσαις -oúsais	-οῦσῐ -οῦσῐν -oûsĭ(n)
Accusative		-όντᾰ -óntă	-οῦσᾰν -oûsăn	-όν -ón		-όντε -ónte	-ούσᾱ -oúsā	-όντε -ónte		-όντᾰς -óntăs	-ούσᾱς -oúsās	-όντᾰ -óntă
Vocative		-ών -ṓn	-οῦσᾰ -oûsă	-όν -ón		-όντε -ónte	-ούσᾱ -oúsā	-όντε -ónte		-όντες -óntes	-οῦσαι -oûsai	-όντᾰ -óntă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-όντως -óntōs				—				—
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

See also

• active participle endings:
  • -ᾱς (-ās)
  • -ώς (-ṓs)

Etymology 3

From Proto-Indo-European *-yōs with contamination (see there).

Alternative forms

• -ῑ́ων (-ī́ōn)

Suffix

-ων • (-ōn) m or f (neuter -ον); third declension

1. Added to adjective stems to form comparative forms

Inflection

Third declension of -ων; -ον (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		-ων -ōn		-ον -on		-ονε -one		-ονε -one		-ονες -ones		-ονᾰ -onă
Genitive		-ονος -onos		-ονος -onos		-ονοιν -onoin		-ονοιν -onoin		-ονων -onōn		-ονων -onōn
Dative		-ονῐ -onĭ		-ονῐ -onĭ		-ονοιν -onoin		-ονοιν -onoin		-οσῐ -οσῐν -osĭ(n)		-οσῐ -οσῐν -osĭ(n)
Accusative		-ονᾰ -onă		-ον -on		-ονε -one		-ονε -one		-ονᾰς -onăs		-ονᾰ -onă
Vocative		-ον -on		-ον -on		-ονε -one		-ονε -one		-ονες -ones		-ονᾰ -onă
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		-ονως -onōs				-ονέστερος -onésteros				-ονέστᾰτος -onéstătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Etymology 4

From Proto-Indo-European *-Hō, dubbed "Hoffmann's suffix", meaning "one who possesses X".

Suffix

-ων • (-ōn) m (genitive -ωνος); third declension

2. Added to nouns to form possessive derivatives

   ‎πλοῦτος (ploûtos, “riches”) + ‎-ων (-ōn) → ‎Πλούτων (Ploútōn, “One who possesses riches, god of the underworld”)

   ‎τιμή (timḗ, “honor”) + ‎-ων (-ōn) → ‎Τίμων (Tímōn, “Honorable One, personal name”)

Inflection

Third declension of -ων; -ωνος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-ων -ōn	-ωνε -ōne	-ωνες -ōnes
Genitive	-ωνος -ōnos	-ωνοιν -ōnoin	-ωνων -ōnōn
Dative	-ωνῐ -ōnĭ	-ωνοιν -ōnoin	-ωσῐ / -ωσῐν -ōsĭ(n)
Accusative	-ωνᾰ -ōnă	-ωνε -ōne	-ωνᾰς -ōnăs
Vocative	-ων -ōn	-ωνε -ōne	-ωνες -ōnes
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 -ων

Ἀγάθων

Ἀλκμαίων

ἀμύμων

Ἀμφίων

ἀπράγμων

Γλαύκων

Ἱέρων

καταπύγων

κηρίων

κοτύλων

κύφων

Λαοκόων

μεδέων

μέδων

ὁσαπλασίων

Πλάτων

Πλούτων

Πολέμων

Πύθων

σπάδων

Στράβων

Τίμων

Ὕβλων

Χαρίτων

Etymology 5

From Proto-Indo-European *-ō. It is sometimes referred to as the "Strabon suffix", after the personal name, which features it.

Suffix

-ων • (-ōn) m (genitive -ωνος or -ονος); third declension

1. Added to adjectives to form nominalisations

   ‎στραβός (strabós, “squinty-eyed”) + ‎-ων (-ōn) → ‎Στράβων (Strábōn, “Squinty guy, personal name”)

   ‎γλαυκός (glaukós, “gray-eyed”) + ‎-ων (-ōn) → ‎Γλαύκων (Glaúkōn, “Gray-eye, personal name”)

Inflection

Third declension of -ων; -ωνος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-ων -ōn	-ωνε -ōne	-ωνες -ōnes
Genitive	-ωνος -ōnos	-ωνοιν -ōnoin	-ωνων -ōnōn
Dative	-ωνῐ -ōnĭ	-ωνοιν -ōnoin	-ωσῐ / -ωσῐν -ōsĭ(n)
Accusative	-ωνᾰ -ōnă	-ωνε -ōne	-ωνᾰς -ōnăs
Vocative	-ων -ōn	-ωνε -ōne	-ωνες -ōnes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of -ων; -ονος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-ων -ōn	-ονε -one	-ονες -ones
Genitive	-ονος -onos	-ονοιν -onoin	-ονων -onōn
Dative	-ονῐ -onĭ	-ονοιν -onoin	-οσῐ / -οσῐν -osĭ(n)
Accusative	-ονᾰ -onă	-ονε -one	-ονᾰς -onăs
Vocative	-ον -on	-ονε -one	-ονες -ones
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.