τένθης

Ancient Greek

Etymology

According to Bechtel, τόνθων (tónthōn, “spinal meat”) belongs here as well. Instead, Beekes envisages a connection with τένδω (téndō, “to gnaw”), in which case the variation θ/δ (th/d) points to Pre-Greek origin.^[1] The linguist Roberto Batisti posits a derivation from earlier *τένθω (*ténthō), itself perhaps from Proto-Hellenic *kʷentʰō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷem- (“to swallow”). According to this theory, the root may have been extended with the morpheme *-dʰh₁eti (whence Ancient Greek -θω (-thō)). Still, Batisti notes that masculine ā-stem nouns are rare in Greek and largely denominal, perhaps indicating that the term replace a preexisting noun. Alternatively, it may have emerged from a compound. It is, however, unlikely to be derived from προτένθης (proténthēs, “foretaster”) due to the semantic differences. Batisti concludes that, although the term is likely to be derived from earlier *τένθω (*ténthō), it likely passed through several intermediary phases.^[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /tén.tʰɛːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈten.tʰe̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈten.θis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈten.θis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈten.θis/

Noun

τένθης • (ténthēs) m (genitive τένθτου); first declension

glutton, gourmand
Synonyms: γᾰστρῐ́μᾰργος (găstrĭ́mărgos), κᾰ́βαισος (kắbaisos), φᾰ́γος (phắgos)

Inflection

First declension of ὁ τένθης; τοῦ τένθου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ τένθης ho ténthēs	τὼ τένθᾱ tṑ ténthā	οἱ τένθαι hoi ténthai
Genitive	τοῦ τένθου toû ténthou	τοῖν τένθαιν toîn ténthain	τῶν τενθῶν tôn tenthôn
Dative	τῷ τένθῃ tōî ténthēi	τοῖν τένθαιν toîn ténthain	τοῖς τένθαις toîs ténthais
Accusative	τὸν τένθην tòn ténthēn	τὼ τένθᾱ tṑ ténthā	τοὺς τένθᾱς toùs ténthās
Vocative	τένθη ténthē	τένθᾱ ténthā	τένθαι ténthai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

λῐχνοτένθης (lĭkhnoténthēs)
τενθείᾱ (tentheíā)
τενθεύω (tentheúō)

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “τένθης”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1466
^ Roberto Batisti (1 October 2022), “The root of all gluttony: Greek τένθης ‘gourmand, glutton’, τέμω ‘to swallow’, πάθνη ‘manger’ and Latin condiō ‘to season food’”, in Indogermanische Forschungen‎^[1], volume 127, number 1, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 283–306

“τένθης”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“τένθης”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
τένθης in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
Frisk, Hjalmar (1970), “τένθης”, in Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 876

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “τένθης”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1466

[2] Roberto Batisti (1 October 2022), “The root of all gluttony: Greek τένθης ‘gourmand, glutton’, τέμω ‘to swallow’, πάθνη ‘manger’ and Latin condiō ‘to season food’”, in Indogermanische Forschungen‎^[1], volume 127, number 1, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 283–306

[1]

[2]