μέταλλον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Likely from Pre-Greek because of the presence of -αλλ- (-all-).^[1]

Traditionally explained by grammarians as a deverbal from μετᾰλλᾰ́ω (metăllắō, “to seek out”), as if from μέτ- (mét-, “next”) +‎ ᾰ̓́λλος (ắllos, “another”) +‎ -ᾰ́ω (-ắō), but Frisk finds the semantic connection very tenuous, and points out that the verb could simply be a later derivation.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mé.tal.lon/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈme.tal.lon/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈme.tal.lon/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈme.tal.lon/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈme.ta.lon/

Noun

μέτᾰλλον • (métăllon) n (genitive μετᾰ́λλου); second declension

a mine, quarry, or salt pit
(Koine) metal

Declension

Second declension of τὸ μέτᾰλλον; τοῦ μετᾰ́λλου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ μέτᾰλλον tò métăllon	τὼ μετᾰ́λλω tṑ metắllō	τᾰ̀ μέτᾰλλᾰ tằ métăllă
Genitive	τοῦ μετᾰ́λλου toû metắllou	τοῖν μετᾰ́λλοιν toîn metắlloin	τῶν μετᾰ́λλων tôn metắllōn
Dative	τῷ μετᾰ́λλῳ tōî metắllōi	τοῖν μετᾰ́λλοιν toîn metắlloin	τοῖς μετᾰ́λλοις toîs metắllois
Accusative	τὸ μέτᾰλλον tò métăllon	τὼ μετᾰ́λλω tṑ metắllō	τᾰ̀ μέτᾰλλᾰ tằ métăllă
Vocative	μέτᾰλλον métăllon	μετᾰ́λλω metắllō	μέτᾰλλᾰ métăllă
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of τὸ μέτᾰλλον; τοῦ μετᾰ́λλου (Ionic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ μέτᾰλλον tò métăllon	τὼ μετᾰ́λλω tṑ metắllō	τᾰ̀ μέτᾰλλᾰ tằ métăllă
Genitive	τοῦ μετᾰ́λλου toû metắllou	τοῖν μετᾰ́λλοιν toîn metắlloin	τῶν μετᾰ́λλων tôn metắllōn
Dative	τῷ μετᾰ́λλῳ tōî metắllōi	τοῖν μετᾰ́λλοιν toîn metắlloin	τοῖσῐ / τοῖσῐν μετᾰ́λλοισῐ / μετᾰ́λλοισῐν toîsĭ(n) metắlloisĭ(n)
Accusative	τὸ μέτᾰλλον tò métăllon	τὼ μετᾰ́λλω tṑ metắllō	τᾰ̀ μέτᾰλλᾰ tằ métăllă
Vocative	μέτᾰλλον métăllon	μετᾰ́λλω metắllō	μέτᾰλλᾰ métăllă
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

ἐκμέτᾰλλος (ekmétăllos)
μετᾰλλαγή (metăllagḗ)
μετᾰλλακτέον (metăllaktéon)
μετᾰλλακτήρ (metăllaktḗr)
μετᾰλλακτός (metăllaktós)
μετᾰ́λλαξις (metắllaxis)
μετᾰλλάρχης (metăllárkhēs)
μετᾰλλάσσω (metăllássō)
μετᾰ́λλατος (metắllatos)
μετᾰλλάω (metălláō)
μετᾰλλεία (metălleía)
μετᾰλλεῖον (metălleîon)
μετᾰλλεύς (metălleús)
μετᾰ́λλευσις (metắlleusis)
μετᾰλλευτής (metălleutḗs)
μετᾰλλευτικός (metălleutikós)
μετᾰλλευτός (metălleutós)
μετᾰλλεύω (metălleúō)
μετᾰλλίζομαι (metăllízomai)
μετᾰλλικός (metăllikós)
μετᾰλλίτης (metăllítēs)
μετᾰλλοιόω (metălloióō)
μετᾰλλοίωσις (metălloíōsis)
μετᾰλλουργεῖον (metăllourgeîon)
μετᾰλλουργέω (metăllourgéō)
μετᾰλλουργός (metăllourgós)
χρῡ́σεᾰ μέτᾰλλᾰ (khrū́seă métăllă)

Descendants

→ Old Armenian: մետաղ (metał)
- Armenian: մետաղ (metaġ)
→ Georgian: მეტალი (meṭali)
Greek: μέταλλο (métallo)
→ Latin: metallum (see there for further descendants)

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “μέταλλον”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 937
^ Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), “μέταλλον”, in Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), Heidelberg: Carl Winter