ἦθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Expanded form of ἔθος (éthos). Cognate with Sanskrit स्वधा (svádhā, “habit, custom”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̂ː.tʰos/ → /ˈi.θos/ → /ˈi.θos/

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

Noun

ἦθος • (êthos) n (genitive ἤθους); third declension

1. character
2. custom, habit

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ ἦθος; τοῦ ἤθους (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ἦθος tò êthos	τὼ ἤθει tṑ ḗthei	τᾰ̀ ἤθη tà ḗthē
Genitive	τοῦ ἤθους toû ḗthous	τοῖν ἠθοῖν toîn ēthoîn	τῶν ἠθῶν tôn ēthôn
Dative	τῷ ἤθει tôi ḗthei	τοῖν ἠθοῖν toîn ēthoîn	τοῖς ἤθεσῐ / ἤθεσῐν toîs ḗthesi(n)
Accusative	τὸ ἦθος tò êthos	τὼ ἤθει tṑ ḗthei	τᾰ̀ ἤθη tà ḗthē
Vocative	ἦθος êthos	ἤθει ḗthei	ἤθη ḗthē
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἦθος; ἤθεος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἦθος êthos	ἤθει / ἤθεε ḗthei / ḗthee	ἤθεᾰ ḗthea
Genitive	ἤθεος / ἤθευς ḗtheos / ḗtheus	ἠθέοιν ēthéoin	ἠθέων ēthéōn
Dative	ἤθει / ἤθεῐ̈ ḗthei / ḗtheï	ἠθέοιν ēthéoin	ἤθεσῐ / ἤθεσῐν ḗthesi(n)
Accusative	ἦθος êthos	ἤθει / ἤθεε ḗthei / ḗthee	ἤθεᾰ ḗthea
Vocative	ἦθος êthos	ἤθει / ἤθεε ḗthei / ḗthee	ἤθεᾰ ḗthea
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Third declension of τὸ ἦθος; τοῦ ἤθεος (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ἦθος tò êthos	τὼ ἤθει / ἤθεε tṑ ḗthei / ḗthee	τᾰ̀ ἤθεᾰ tà ḗthea
Genitive	τοῦ ἤθεος / ἤθευς toû ḗtheos / ḗtheus	τοῖν ἠθέοιν toîn ēthéoin	τῶν ἠθέων tôn ēthéōn
Dative	τῷ ἤθει / ἤθεῐ̈ tôi ḗthei / ḗtheï	τοῖν ἠθέοιν toîn ēthéoin	τοῖσῐ / τοῖσῐν ἤθεσῐ / ἤθεσῐν toîsi(n) ḗthesi(n)
Accusative	τὸ ἦθος tò êthos	τὼ ἤθει / ἤθεε tṑ ḗthei / ḗthee	τᾰ̀ ἤθεᾰ tà ḗthea
Vocative	ἦθος êthos	ἤθει / ἤθεε ḗthei / ḗthee	ἤθεᾰ ḗthea
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• ἀήθης (aḗthēs)
• εὐήθης (euḗthēs)
• ἠθαλέος (ēthaléos)
• ἠθάς (ēthás)
• ἠθεῖος (ētheîos)
• ἠθικός (ēthikós)
• ἠθόγραφος (ēthógraphos)
• ἠθολόγος (ēthológos)
• ἠθοποιός (ēthopoiós)
• κακοήθης (kakoḗthēs)
• καλοήθης (kaloḗthēs)
• ὁμοήθης (homoḗthēs)
• πολυήθης (poluḗthēs)
• συνήθης (sunḗthēs)
• χειροήθης (kheiroḗthēs)
• χοροήθης (khoroḗthēs)
• χρηστοήθης (khrēstoḗthēs)

Descendants

• Greek: ήθος (íthos)
• → English: ethos
• → Latin: ēthos

Further reading

• “ἦθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἦθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἦθος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἦθος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἦθος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ἦθος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G2239 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • behaviour idem, page 71.
  • caprice idem, page 112.
  • character idem, page 125.
  • conduct idem, page 157.
  • demeanour idem, page 209.
  • disposition idem, page 237.
  • habit idem, page 380.
  • humour idem, page 410.
  • idiosyncrasy idem, page 413.
  • mood idem, page 540.
  • nature idem, page 552.
  • part idem, page 593.
  • temper idem, page 859.
  • temperament idem, page 860.
  • whim idem, page 976.