ἱερός

See also: ιερός

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ῑ̔ρός (hīrós) — Epic, Ionic
ἷρος (hîros) — Aeolic
ῐ̔ᾰρός (hĭărós) — Doric

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *iherós, from Proto-Indo-European *ish₂ros (“holy”). There are a number of candidate cognates with this word; these include Sanskrit इषिर (iṣirá, “strong, active”) and Oscan 𐌀𐌉𐌔𐌖𐌔𐌉𐌔 (aisusis, “sacrifices”).^[1]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hi.e.rós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)i.eˈros/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /i.eˈros/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /i.eˈros/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /i.eˈros/

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /hiː.e.rós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)i.eˈros/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /i.eˈros/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /i.eˈros/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /i.eˈros/

Adjective

ῑ̆̔ερός • (hī̆erós) m (feminine ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́, neuter ῑ̆̔ερόν); first/second declension

connected with the gods, divine
holy, sacred, consecrated, priestly

Usage notes

The ι (i) is generally short in ἱερός (hierós), but sometimes lengthened to ῑ̔ερός (hīerós) for the sake of meter in poetry. The contracted form ῑ̔ρός (hīrós) always has long ῑ (ī).

Declension

First and second declension of ῑ̆̔ερός; ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́; ῑ̆̔ερόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ῑ̆̔ερός hī̆erós	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔εροί hī̆eroí	ῑ̆̔εραί hī̆eraí	ῑ̆̔ερᾰ́ hī̆erắ
Genitive	ῑ̆̔εροῦ hī̆eroû	ῑ̆̔ερᾶς hī̆erâs	ῑ̆̔εροῦ hī̆eroû	ῑ̆̔εροῖν hī̆eroîn	ῑ̆̔εραῖν hī̆eraîn	ῑ̆̔εροῖν hī̆eroîn	ῑ̆̔ερῶν hī̆erôn	ῑ̆̔ερῶν hī̆erôn	ῑ̆̔ερῶν hī̆erôn
Dative	ῑ̆̔ερῷ hī̆erōî	ῑ̆̔ερᾷ hī̆erāî	ῑ̆̔ερῷ hī̆erōî	ῑ̆̔εροῖν hī̆eroîn	ῑ̆̔εραῖν hī̆eraîn	ῑ̆̔εροῖν hī̆eroîn	ῑ̆̔εροῖς hī̆eroîs	ῑ̆̔εραῖς hī̆eraîs	ῑ̆̔εροῖς hī̆eroîs
Accusative	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ν hī̆erā́n	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερούς hī̆eroús	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ς hī̆erā́s	ῑ̆̔ερᾰ́ hī̆erắ
Vocative	ῑ̆̔ερέ hī̆eré	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔εροί hī̆eroí	ῑ̆̔εραί hī̆eraí	ῑ̆̔ερᾰ́ hī̆erắ
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ῑ̆̔ερῶς hī̆erôs			ῑ̆̔ερώτερος hī̆erṓteros			ῑ̆̔ερώτᾰτος hī̆erṓtătos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and second declension of ῑ̆̔ερός; ῑ̆̔ερή; ῑ̆̔ερόν (Epic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ῑ̆̔ερός hī̆erós	ῑ̆̔ερή hī̆erḗ	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔εροί hī̆eroí	ῑ̆̔εραί hī̆eraí	ῑ̆̔ερᾰ́ hī̆erắ
Genitive	ῑ̆̔εροῖο ῑ̆̔ερόο ῑ̆̔εροῦ hī̆eroîo hī̆eróo hī̆eroû	ῑ̆̔ερῆς hī̆erês	ῑ̆̔εροῖο ῑ̆̔ερόο ῑ̆̔εροῦ hī̆eroîo hī̆eróo hī̆eroû	ῑ̆̔εροῖῐ̈ν hī̆eroîĭ̈n	ῑ̆̔εραῖῐ̈ν hī̆eraîĭ̈n	ῑ̆̔εροῖῐ̈ν hī̆eroîĭ̈n	ῑ̆̔ερῶν hī̆erôn	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ων ῑ̆̔ερέων ῑ̆̔ερῶν hī̆erā́ōn hī̆eréōn hī̆erôn	ῑ̆̔ερῶν hī̆erôn
Dative	ῑ̆̔ερῷ hī̆erōî	ῑ̆̔ερῇ hī̆erēî	ῑ̆̔ερῷ hī̆erōî	ῑ̆̔εροῖῐ̈ν hī̆eroîĭ̈n	ῑ̆̔εραῖῐ̈ν hī̆eraîĭ̈n	ῑ̆̔εροῖῐ̈ν hī̆eroîĭ̈n	ῑ̆̔εροῖσῐ ῑ̆̔εροῖσῐν ῑ̆̔εροῖς hī̆eroîsĭ(n) hī̆eroîs	ῑ̆̔ερῇσῐ ῑ̆̔ερῇσῐν ῑ̆̔ερῇς ῑ̆̔εραῖς hī̆erēîsĭ(n) hī̆erēîs hī̆eraîs	ῑ̆̔εροῖσῐ ῑ̆̔εροῖσῐν ῑ̆̔εροῖς hī̆eroîsĭ(n) hī̆eroîs
Accusative	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερήν hī̆erḗn	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερούς hī̆eroús	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ς hī̆erā́s	ῑ̆̔ερᾰ́ hī̆erắ
Vocative	ῑ̆̔ερέ hī̆eré	ῑ̆̔ερή hī̆erḗ	ῑ̆̔ερόν hī̆erón	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́ hī̆erā́	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔εροί hī̆eroí	ῑ̆̔εραί hī̆eraí	ῑ̆̔ερᾰ́ hī̆erắ
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	ῑ̆̔ερῶς hī̆erôs			ῑ̆̔ερώτερος hī̆erṓteros			ῑ̆̔ερώτᾰτος hī̆erṓtătos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

Ἱερᾱ́πολις (Hierā́polis)
ῐ̔ερᾰ́ρχης (hĭerắrkhēs)
ἱεραρχίᾱ (hierarkhíā)
ῐ̔ερεύς (hĭereús)
Ἱέριος (Hiérios)
ἱεροβοτάνη (hierobotánē)
ἱερόγλυφος (hierógluphos)
ἱερόγλωσσος (hieróglōssos)
ῑ̔ερόδουλος (hīeródoulos)
Ἱερόθεος (Hierótheos)
ἱεροκῆρῠξ (hierokêrŭx)
Ῐ̔εροκλῆς (Hĭeroklês)
ἱερομνήμων (hieromnḗmōn)
ἱεροπομπός (hieropompós)
ἱεροφάντης (hierophántēs)
Ῑ̔εροφῶν (Hīerophôn)
Ἱερώνυμος (Hierṓnumos)

Descendants

English: hiero-
French: hiéro-
Greek: ιερο- (iero-)
→ Middle Persian: (via ἱερά (hierá))
- → Arabic: إِيَارَج (ʔiyāraj), يَارَج (yāraj)
  - → Persian: ایارج (iyâraj), یارج (yâraj)
→ Persian: یاره (yâra, yâre) (via ἱερά (hierá))

Noun

ῑ̆̔ερός • (hī̆erós) m (genitive ῑ̆̔εροῦ, feminine ῑ̆̔ερᾱ́); second declension

a (male) member of a religious institution

Declension

Second declension of ὁ ῑ̆̔ερός; τοῦ ῑ̆̔εροῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ῑ̆̔ερός ho hī̆erós	τὼ ῑ̆̔ερώ tṑ hī̆erṓ	οἱ ῑ̆̔εροί hoi hī̆eroí
Genitive	τοῦ ῑ̆̔εροῦ toû hī̆eroû	τοῖν ῑ̆̔εροῖν toîn hī̆eroîn	τῶν ῑ̆̔ερῶν tôn hī̆erôn
Dative	τῷ ῑ̆̔ερῷ tōî hī̆erōî	τοῖν ῑ̆̔εροῖν toîn hī̆eroîn	τοῖς ῑ̆̔εροῖς toîs hī̆eroîs
Accusative	τὸν ῑ̆̔ερόν tòn hī̆erón	τὼ ῑ̆̔ερώ tṑ hī̆erṓ	τοὺς ῑ̆̔ερούς toùs hī̆eroús
Vocative	ῑ̆̔ερέ hī̆eré	ῑ̆̔ερώ hī̆erṓ	ῑ̆̔εροί hī̆eroí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “ἱερός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 580-1

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Usage notes

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

Noun

Declension

References

Further reading