ἄργιλλος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ἄργῑλος (árgīlos), ἄργῐλλα (árgĭlla)

Etymology

Generally derived from ᾰ̓ργός (ărgós, “white”), but the suffix cannot be Indo-European, due to the -ῐλλ-/-ῑλ- (-ĭll-/-īl-) variation and the variations in the ending. Beekes suggests that a Pre-Greek origin is possible, and that no semantic connection wiwth ἀργός (argós) is evident.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ár.ɡil.los/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈar.ɡil.los/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈar.ʝil.los/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈar.ʝil.los/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈar.ʝi.los/

Noun

ᾰ̓́ργῐλλος • (ắrgĭllos) f (genitive ἀργῐ́λλου); second declension

white clay; potter's clay; argil

Declension

Second declension of ἡ ᾰ̓́ργῐλλος; τῆς ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓́ργῐλλος hē ắrgĭllos	τὼ ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλω tṑ ărgĭ́llō	αἱ ᾰ̓́ργῐλλοι hai ắrgĭlloi
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλου tês ărgĭ́llou	τοῖν ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλοιν toîn ărgĭ́lloin	τῶν ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλων tôn ărgĭ́llōn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλῳ tēî ărgĭ́llōi	τοῖν ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλοιν toîn ărgĭ́lloin	ταῖς ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλοις taîs ărgĭ́llois
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓́ργῐλλον tḕn ắrgĭllon	τὼ ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλω tṑ ărgĭ́llō	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλους tā̀s ărgĭ́llous
Vocative	ᾰ̓́ργῐλλε ắrgĭlle	ᾰ̓ργῐ́λλω ărgĭ́llō	ᾰ̓́ργῐλλοι ắrgĭlloi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ᾰ̓ργῐλλοφόρητος (ărgĭllophórētos)
ᾰ̓ργῐλλώδης (ărgĭllṓdēs)

Descendants

Greek: άργιλος (árgilos)
→ Latin: argilla