Μορμώ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Μορμών (Mormṓn)

Etymology

Unknown. Beekes thinks a Pre-Greek origin is likely.^[1] Maybe related to μόρμορος (mórmoros, “fear, panic”).^[2] Generally claimed to be connected with Latin formido, although the parallel is dubious. However, see Middle Armenian մորմ (morm, “tarantula”), which possibly comes from the same substrate source.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mor.mɔ̌ː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /morˈmo/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /morˈmo/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /morˈmo/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /morˈmo/

Proper noun

Μορμώ • (Mormṓ) f (genitive Μορμόος or Μορμοῦς); third declension

Mormo, a monstrous spectre in Greek mythology, used as a bogey to frighten children

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ Μορμώ; τῆς Μορμόος / Μορμοῦς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ Μορμώ hē Mormṓ	τὼ Μορμώ tṑ Mormṓ	αἱ Μορμοί hai Mormoí
Genitive	τῆς Μορμόος / Μορμοῦς tês Mormóos / Mormoûs	τοῖν Μορμοῖν toîn Mormoîn	τῶν Μορμῶν tôn Mormôn
Dative	τῇ Μορμοῖ tēî Mormoî	τοῖν Μορμοῖν toîn Mormoîn	ταῖς Μορμοῖς taîs Mormoîs
Accusative	τὴν Μορμώ tḕn Mormṓ	τὼ Μορμώ tṑ Mormṓ	τᾱ̀ς Μορμούς tā̀s Mormoús
Vocative	Μορμοῖ Mormoî	Μορμώ Mormṓ	Μορμοί Mormoí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

English: Mormo, mormo
Greek: Μορμώ (Mormó)
Latin: Mormo

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 967
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Martirosyan, Hrach (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 8), Leiden and Boston: Brill, pages 478-480