eunuch

See also: Eunuch

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek εὐνή (eunḗ)

Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ-der.

Proto-Hellenic *hékʰō

Ancient Greek ἔχω (ékhō)

Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos)bor.

Latin eunūchusder.

Middle English eunuk

English eunuch

From Middle English eunuk, from Middle French eunuque, from Latin eunūchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos), from εὐνή (eunḗ, “bed”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “I have, keep”). Originally probably used to refer to a bed chamber attendant.

Pronunciation

• enPR: yo͞oʹnək, IPA^(key): /ˈjuː.nək/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: eu‧nuch

Noun

eunuch (plural eunuchs)

1. A castrated man.
   • 1922, Michael Arlen, “2/1/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days‎^[1]:

     Semiramis was the first woman to invent eunuchs and women have had sympathy for them ever since; […] and women can tell them what they can't tell other men.

2. (historical) Such a man employed as harem guard or in certain (mainly Eastern) monarchies (e.g. late Roman and Chinese Empires) as court or state officials.
   • c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:

     He ſhall be made a chaſte and luſtleſſe Eunuch,
     And in my Sarell tend my Concubines

   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     I, and by heauen, one that will doe the deede, / Though Argus were her Eunuch and her garde.

   • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene xiv]:

     Hence sawcy Eunuch peace, / she hath betraid me, / And shall dye the death.

   • 1849, Austen Henry Layard, chapter III, in Nineveh and Its Remains: with an account of a visit to the Chaldean Christians of Kurdistan:

     [describing a bas-relief] An eunuch holds a fly-flapper or fan over the head of the king, who appears to be conversing or performing some ceremony with a figure standing in front of him; probably his vizir or minister.

3. (in translations of ancient texts) A man who is not inclined to marry and procreate.
4. (figurative) One that is ineffectual.
   • 1976 December 11, Ronnie Allen, “No Political Eunuch”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 24, page 4:

     Mr. Peterson really reaches for a low one when he says, "They (gays) should never commit themselves to any broader ideological movement." I am, paradoxically, a Christian, a Maxist, a Gay, and a Human Being. To be gay one should not be a political eunuch.

Usage notes

• While the most common form is a eunuch, the form an eunuch (presumably with an appropriate pronunciation) is occasionally seen.

Synonyms

• gelding

Derived terms

• eunuched
• eunuch flute
• eunuchism
• eunuchize
• eunuchlike
• eunuchry

Translations

castrated man

• Albanian: eunuk (sq) m
• Arabic: خَصِيّ m (ḵaṣiyy), مَخْصِيّ (ar) m (maḵṣiyy)
• Armenian: ներքինի (hy) (nerkʻini)
• Azerbaijani: xədim
• Belarusian: е́ўнух m (jéwnux), скапе́ц m (skapjéc), кастра́т m (kastrát), лягча́нец m (ljahčánjec)
• Bulgarian: скопе́ц m (skopéc)
• Catalan: eunuc (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 閹人 / 阉人 (zh) (yānrén), 公公 (zh) (gōnggong), 宦官 (zh) (huànguān)

• Coptic: ⲥⲓⲟⲩⲣ (siour)
• Czech: eunuch (cs) m, kastrát (cs) m, kleštěnec (cs) m
• Danish: eunuk (da) c
• Dutch: eunuch (nl) m, castraat (nl) m
• Esperanto: kastrito
• Finnish: eunukki (fi), ruuna (fi)
• French: eunuque (fr) m, castrat (fr) m
• German: Eunuch (de) m, Kastrat (de) m
• Greek: ευνούχος (el) m (evnoúchos)

  Ancient Greek: εὐνοῦχος m (eunoûkhos), σπάδων m (spádōn)

• Hebrew: סָרִיס (he) m (sarís)
• Hindi: हिजड़ा (hi) m (hijṛā)
• Hungarian: eunuch (hu)
• Icelandic: geldingur (is) m
• Ido: eunuko (io)
• Irish: coillteán m
• Italian: eunuco (it)
• Jeju: 고제 (goje)
• Kazakh: әтек (ätek)
• Korean: 고자(鼓子) (ko) (goja)
• Latin: spadō m, eunuchus m, thlasias m
• Lithuanian: kastrãtas m
• Macedonian: евнух m (evnuh), скопец m (skopec)
• Malay: sida-sida
• Māori: unaka
• Mongolian: тайган (mn) (tajgan)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: evnukk (no) m

  Nynorsk: evnukk m

• Occitan: eunuc m
• Old English: belisnod m
• Persian: خواجه (fa) (xwâje)
• Polish: eunuch (pl) m, kastrat (pl) m, rzezaniec (pl) m, trzebieniec (pl) m
• Portuguese: eunuco (pt) m
• Russian: е́внух (ru) m (jévnux), скопе́ц (ru) m (skopéc), кастра́т (ru) m (kastrát)
• Sanskrit: अक्षत (sa) m or n (akṣata)
• Serbo-Croatian: eunuh (sh) m
• Spanish: eunuco (es) m
• Swedish: eunuck (sv) c
• Tagalog: bating, eunuko
• Thai: ชันที
• Tibetan: ཉུག་རུམ (nyug rum)
• Turkish: hadım (tr), husyesiz
• Ukrainian: є́внух m (jévnux), скопе́ць m (skopécʹ), кастра́т (uk) m (kastrát)
• Volapük: (♂) homen
• Walloon: unuke (wa) m
• Yoruba: òkóbó, ìwẹ̀fà, ọyà

such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state

• Armenian: ներքինի (hy) (nerkʻini)
• Azerbaijani: hərəmağası
• Belarusian: е́ўнух m (jéwnux)
• Bulgarian: е́внух m (évnuh)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 閹人 / 阉人 (zh) (yānrén), 太監 / 太监 (zh) (tàijiàn), 宦官 (zh) (huànguān), 寺人 (zh) (sìrén)

• Czech: kastrát (cs) m, eunuch (cs) m
• Dutch: eunuch (nl) m
• Esperanto: eŭnuko
• Finnish: eunukki (fi)
• French: eunuque (fr) m
• German: Eunuch (de) m
• Greek: ευνούχος (el) m (evnoúchos)
• Hebrew: סָרִיס (he) m (sarís)
• Hindi: हिजड़ा (hi) m (hijṛā)
• Hungarian: eunuch (hu)
• Italian: eunuco (it)
• Japanese: 宦官 (ja) (かんがん, kangan)
• Kazakh: әтек (ätek)
• Korean: 환관(宦官) (ko) (hwan'gwan), 내시(內侍) (naesi)
• Lithuanian: eunùchas m
• Māori: unaka
• Mongolian: тайган (mn) (tajgan)
• Persian: خواجه (fa) (xwâje)
• Polish: eunuch (pl) m
• Portuguese: eunuco (pt) m
• Russian: е́внух (ru) m (jévnux)
• Spanish: eunuco (es)
• Swedish: eunuck (sv) c
• Thai: ขันที (th) (kǎn-tii)
• Turkish: haremağası (tr)
• Ukrainian: є́внух m (jévnux)
• Yoruba: ìwẹ̀fà

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} हिजड़ा (hi) m (hijṛā)
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 宦官 (ja) (かんがん, kangan)
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 내시(內侍) (naesi), ^{(please verify)} 환관(宦官) (ko) (hwan'gwan)
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} eunūchus m
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} uškopljenik (sh) m
• Urdu: ^{(please verify)} ہیجڑا m (hijra)

Verb

eunuch (third-person singular simple present eunuchs, present participle eunuching, simple past and past participle eunuched)

1. (transitive, dated) To castrate.
2. (figurative, transitive, dated) To render ineffectual.

See also

• castrate
• castratism
• castrato
• de-sex
• desex
• gelding
• neuter
• sterilize

Czech

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin eunūchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛu̯nux]
• Hyphenation: eu‧nuch

Noun

eunuch m anim (relational adjective eunušský)

1. eunuch (castrated man)

   Synonyms: kleštěnec, kastrát

Declension

Declension of eunuch (velar masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	eunuch	eunuši, eunuchové
genitive	eunucha	eunuchů
dative	eunuchovi, eunuchu	eunuchům
accusative	eunucha	eunuchy
vocative	eunuchu	eunuši, eunuchové
locative	eunuchovi, eunuchu	eunuších
instrumental	eunuchem	eunuchy

Related terms

• eunuchoid
• eunuchoidismus

Further reading

• “eunuch”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “eunuch”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “eunuch”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Dutch

Alternative forms

• eunuuk (dated, superseded)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin eunūchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /œy̯ˈnʏx/, /œy̯ˈnyx/, /øː-/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: eu‧nuch
• Rhymes: -ʏx

Noun

eunuch m (plural eunuchen, diminutive eunuchje n)

1. a eunuch (castrated man)
2. a eunuch (castrated male harem guard)

Descendants

• Afrikaans: eunug

Hungarian

Etymology

From German Eunuch, from Latin eunuchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos, “castrated man, eunuch, harem guard”), from εὐνή (eunḗ, “bed”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “I have, keep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛunuxː]
• Hyphenation: eu‧nuch
• Rhymes: -uxː, -ux

Noun

eunuch (plural eunuchok)

1. eunuch (a castrated human male)
2. eunuch (a harem guard)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	eunuch	eunuchok
accusative	eunuchot	eunuchokat
dative	eunuchnak	eunuchoknak
instrumental	eunuchhal	eunuchokkal
causal-final	eunuchért	eunuchokért
translative	eunuchhá	eunuchokká
terminative	eunuchig	eunuchokig
essive-formal	eunuchként	eunuchokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	eunuchban	eunuchokban
superessive	eunuchon	eunuchokon
adessive	eunuchnál	eunuchoknál
illative	eunuchba	eunuchokba
sublative	eunuchra	eunuchokra
allative	eunuchhoz	eunuchokhoz
elative	eunuchból	eunuchokból
delative	eunuchról	eunuchokról
ablative	eunuchtól	eunuchoktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	eunuché	eunuchoké
non-attributive possessive – plural	eunuchéi	eunuchokéi

Possessive forms of eunuch

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	eunuchom	eunuchjaim
2nd person sing.	eunuchod	eunuchjaid
3rd person sing.	eunuchja	eunuchjai
1st person plural	eunuchunk	eunuchjaink
2nd person plural	eunuchotok	eunuchjaitok
3rd person plural	eunuchjuk	eunuchjaik

Further reading

• eunuch in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• eunuch in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin eunūchus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛw.nux/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛwnux
• Syllabification: eu‧nuch

Noun

eunuch m pers

1. castrato, eunuch (castrated human male)

   Synonyms: kastrat, rzezaniec, trzebieniec

2. (historical) eunuch (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state)
3. (derogatory) impotent (person incapable of taking a particular type of action that the situation requires)

   Synonym: impotent

Declension

Declension of eunuch

	singular	plural
nominative	eunuch	eunuchowie
genitive	eunucha	eunuchów
dative	eunuchowi	eunuchom
accusative	eunucha	eunuchów
instrumental	eunuchem	eunuchami
locative	eunuchu	eunuchach
vocative	eunuchu	eunuchowie

Derived terms

noun

• eunuchoid

Related terms

noun

• eunuchoidyzm

Further reading

• eunuch in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• eunuch in Polish dictionaries at PWN