βασίλεια

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From βᾰσῐλεύς (băsĭleús, king) +‎ -ῐᾰ (-ĭă, feminine ending), synchronically also analyzable as βᾰσῐλεύς (băsĭleús, king) +‎ -ειᾰ (-eiă). Intervocalic (ĭ) developed from a sonorant cluster /wj/, which assimilated to /jj/, then became the second element in the diphthong ει (ei); the formation is thus *βᾰσῐ́λεϝϳᾰ (*băsĭ́lewjă) > *βᾰσῐ́λεϳϳᾰ (*băsĭ́lejjă) > βᾰσῐ́λειᾰ (băsĭ́leiă).

Pronunciation

 

Noun

βᾰσῐ́λειᾰ • (băsĭ́leiăf (genitive βᾰσῐλείᾱς); first declension

  1. queen
  2. princess
  3. noblewoman

Declension

Further reading

Greek

Noun

βασίλεια • (vasíleian

  1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of βασίλειο (vasíleio)