-η - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

• -ή (-ḗ)
• -ᾱ (-ā), -ᾱ́ (-ā́)

From earlier -ᾱ (-ā), from *-ā, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂. Cognate with Latin -a.

-η • (-ē) f (genitive -ης); first declension (Attic, Epic, Ionic, Koine)

1. suffix of nouns in the first declension.
2. Added to verbal stems ending in a consonant to form an action noun.
   1. Added to the _o_-grade of the verbal stem.
      ‎_τρέφω_ (tréphō, “to nourish”, e_-grade τρεφ- (treph-) → o_-grade τροφ- (troph-)) + ‎_-η (-ē) → ‎τροφή_ (trophḗ, “nourishment”)
   2. Added to the zero-grade of the verbal stem.
      ‎_φεύγω_ (pheúgō, “to flee”, e_-grade φευγ- (pheug-) → zero-grade φῠγ- (phŭg-)) + ‎_-η (-ē) → ‎_φῠγή_ (phŭgḗ, “flight”)
      ‎_τῠγχᾰ́νω_ (tŭnkhắnō, “to happen”, < *τῠ́γχνω (*tŭ́nkhnō), zero-grade *τῠγχν- (*tŭnkhn-) with nasal infix and suffix → zero-grade τῠχ- (tŭkh-)) + ‎-η (-ē) → ‎_τῠ́χη_ (tŭ́khē, “fortune”)
   3. Added to the _e_-grade of the verbal stem.
      ‎_στέγω_ (stégō, “to shelter”, e_-grade στεγ- (steg-)) + ‎_-η (-ē) → ‎_στέγη_ (stégē, “roof”)
3. Added to masculine or neuter nouns to give a feminine form.

• In Attic, the suffix retains the form -ᾱ (-ā) after ε (e), ι (i) or ρ (r).
• The _o_-grade and zero-grade derivations are generally accented on the suffix.
• -ᾱ (-ā) — Aeolic, Doric
• -ος (-os)
• -ς (-s)
• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920), “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 859.2