εἵλη

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἕλη (hélē)
ϝέλᾱ (wélā)
ἕλᾱ (hélā)
εἴλη (eílē)
βέλα (béla)

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swelH- (“to shine, warm, smolder, burn”). According to Beekes, from earlier *hϝέλα (*hwéla), whence perhaps ϝέλᾱ (wélā) and ἕλᾱ (hélā). However, the variation between initial εἵλ- (heíl-) and ἕλ- (hél-) is problematic, though Beekes suggests a possible analogical spread of εἵλ- (heíl-). Moreover, it is difficult to explain the variation between εἴλη (eílē) and εἴλη (eílē). Beekes suggests that such a development could perhaps have emerged due to the addition of a prothetic vowel *ἐ- (*e-) to the pre-form *hϝέλα (*hwéla), although he considers such an occurrence to be "impossible." The linguist Robert Woodhouse suggests that it could have emerged via the contraction of the terms *swelH- and *seh₂w-el- (“sun”) in speech, which—according to Woodhouse—may have created a term *sew-el(H)-. Afterwards, this new form may have then produced εἴλη (eílē) and, though psilosis, also εἵλη (heílē).^[1] It is possible that it may relate to Ancient Greek ἀλέα (aléa, “warmth of the sun”).^[2]

If derived from *swelH-, then cognate with English sweal, German schwelen (“to smolder”), and Lithuanian svi̇̀lti (“to grill”).^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hěː.lɛː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈ(h)i.le̝/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.li/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈi.li/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈi.li/

Noun

εἵλη • (heílē) f (genitive εἵλης); first declension

the heat or warmth of the sun

Inflection

First declension of ἡ εἵλη; τῆς εἵλης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ εἵλη hē heílē	τὼ εἵλᾱ tṑ heílā	αἱ εἷλαι hai heîlai
Genitive	τῆς εἵλης tês heílēs	τοῖν εἵλαιν toîn heílain	τῶν εἱλῶν tôn heilôn
Dative	τῇ εἵλῃ tēî heílēi	τοῖν εἵλαιν toîn heílain	ταῖς εἵλαις taîs heílais
Accusative	τὴν εἵλην tḕn heílēn	τὼ εἵλᾱ tṑ heílā	τᾱ̀ς εἵλᾱς tā̀s heílās
Vocative	εἵλη heílē	εἵλᾱ heílā	εἷλαι heîlai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἄειλος (áeilos)
εἱλέω (heiléō)
εἱληθερέω (heilētheréō)
εἱληθερής (heilētherḗs)
εὔειλος (eúeilos)
πρόσειλος (próseilos)

References

^ Robert Woodhouse (2014), “Some Greek etymologies”, in Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia‎^[1], volume 19, number 3, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, →ISSN, pages 200-201
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “εἵλη 2”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 385