πίθος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• πίδος (pídos)

Etymology

Like many Greek words for pottery, most likely of Pre-Greek origin, as evidenced by the irregular variations between:

• ⟨δ⟩ and ⟨θ⟩, the former as in e.g. πίδος (pídos)
• ⟨π⟩ and ⟨φ⟩, as in the derived terms πιθάκνη (pitháknē) ~ φιδάκνη (phidáknē) and πιθάκνιον (pitháknion) ~ φιδάκνιον (phidáknion)
• ⟨ι⟩ and ⟨ε⟩, the latter as in Mycenaean Greek 𐀤𐀵 (qe-to).

Formerly compared to Old Norse biða (“milk jug/bucket”) and Latin fidēlia (“earthen vessel, pot”), assuming a Proto-Indo-European root *bʰidʰ-. The apparent cognate in Mycenaean Greek, if related, however rules out an initial labial consonant in the source.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pí.tʰos/ → /ˈpi.θos/ → /ˈpi.θos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pí.tʰos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.tʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.θos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.θos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.θos/

Noun

πῐ́θος • (píthos) m (genitive πῐ́θου); second declension

1. large wine jar, cask

   πίθοι ξύλινοι, κεράμινοι, ἀργύρεοι ― píthoi xúlinoi, keráminoi, argúreoi ― jars wooden, of clay, silver.

2. (proverbs, expressions)
   1. of the task of the Danaids, of labour in vain
      • 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7.40:

        τό εἰς τὸν τετρημένον πίθον ἀντλεῖν

        tó eis tòn tetrēménon píthon antleîn

        to the perforated jar bale water

   2. of a Cynic's life, like Diogenes

      ζωὴ πίθου ― zōḕ píthou ― a life of jar (in a jar)

   3. very witty, referring to Diogenes

      πίθος φρενών ― píthos phrenṓn ― a cask [full of] wit

   4. your purse is deep

      ἐκ πίθω ἀντλεῖς ― ek píthō antleîs ― you have wine by the caskful

      • 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Theocritus, Epigrams 10.13:

        ἐκ πίθω ἀντλεῖς.

        ek píthō antleîs.

        you have wine by the caskful.

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ πῐ́θος; τοῦ πῐ́θου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ πῐ́θος ho píthos	τὼ πῐ́θω tṑ píthō	οἱ πῐ́θοι hoi píthoi
Genitive	τοῦ πῐ́θου toû píthou	τοῖν πῐ́θοιν toîn píthoin	τῶν πῐ́θων tôn píthōn
Dative	τῷ πῐ́θῳ tôi píthōi	τοῖν πῐ́θοιν toîn píthoin	τοῖς πῐ́θοις toîs píthois
Accusative	τὸν πῐ́θον tòn píthon	τὼ πῐ́θω tṑ píthō	τοὺς πῐ́θους toùs píthous
Vocative	πῐ́θε píthe	πῐ́θω píthō	πῐ́θοι píthoi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Synonyms

• ᾰ̓μφορεύς m (amphoreús, “jar”)

Derived terms

• πιθάκνη (pitháknē); πισάκνα (pisákna) (Doric)
• πιθάριον (pithárion)
• πιθίσκος (pithískos)
• πιθώδης (pithṓdēs)

Descendants

• Greek:

  Medieval Greek: πιθάριον n (pithárion) (diminutive)

  Modern Greek: πιθάρι n (pithári)

  Modern Greek: πίθος m (píthos)

Further reading

• “πίθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “πίθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• πίθος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

Greek

Alternative forms

• πιθάρι n (pithári) (more common)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πῐ́θος (píthos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpiθos/
• Hyphenation: πί‧θος

Noun

πίθος • (píthos) m (plural πίθοι)

1. (learned) large jar, cask
2. (expression) (for monotonous, impossible tasks) the jar of the Daughters of Danaus

   o πίθος των Δαναΐδων ― o píthos ton Danaḯdon ― the jar of the Danaids/daughters of Danaus

Declension

declension of πίθος

case     \     number	singular	plural
nominative	πίθος •	πίθοι •
genitive	πίθου •	πίθων •
accusative	πίθο •	πίθους •
vocative	πίθε •	πίθοι •

Synonyms

• πιθάρι n (pithári) (more common)