σθένος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. The cluster /stʰ/ is unusual for Ancient Greek terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European. However several hypotheses for an Indo-European derivation exist:

• Cognate with Old English stīþ (“hard, cruel, violent”) (English stith (“stiff, hard”)), from Proto-Indo-European *stHen-. This assumes that a sequence *-TH- could result in Greek -θ- (-th-), which is disputed.

• Cognate with Proto-Germanic *swinþaz (“strong”) (and possibly also *sundaz (“healthy”)) through the root of *segaz (“victory”); from a Proto-Indo-European *séǵʰwr̥, *sǵʰwén- (“power, overpowering”) which is inferred from various derivatives.

• From the zero-grade *sgʷʰ- of a root *segʷʰ- (“to be strong”), whence also Sanskrit सघ्नोति (saghnóti, “to be a match for, be equal to (a task)”), क्षम् (kṣam, “to endure, resist; forgive”) and Avestan 𐬀𐬰𐬔𐬀𐬙𐬀 (a-zg-ata, “irresistible (?)”), plus an uncertain suffix *-énos.

The latter two both assume Proto-Hellenic *skʷʰénos.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /stʰé.nos/ → /ˈsθe.nos/ → /ˈsθe.nos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /stʰé.nos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈstʰe.nos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/

Noun

σθένος • (sthénos) n (genitive σθένεος or σθένους); third declension

1. strength, might, power

Inflection

Third declension of τὸ σθένος; τοῦ σθένους (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	τὸ σθένος tò sthénos
Genitive	τοῦ σθένους toû sthénous
Dative	τῷ σθένει tôi sthénei
Accusative	τὸ σθένος tò sthénos
Vocative	σθένος sthénos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of σθένος; σθένεος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	σθένος sthénos
Genitive	σθένεος / σθένευς sthéneos / sthéneus
Dative	σθένει / σθένεῐ̈ sthénei / sthéneï
Accusative	σθένος sthénos
Vocative	σθένος sthénos
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

• Αλκισθένη (Alkisthénē)
• Ᾰ̓νδροσθένης (Androsthénēs)
• Ἀντισθένης (Antisthénēs)
• ἀσθενής (asthenḗs)
• Δεινοσθένης (Deinosthénēs)
• Δημοσθένης (Dēmosthénēs)
• Ἐρᾰτοσθένης (Eratosthénēs)
• ἐρισθενής (eristhenḗs)
• Εὐρυσθένης (Eurusthénēs)
• Καλλισθένης (Kallisthénēs)
• Κλεισθένης (Kleisthénēs)
• Λεωσθένης (Leōsthénēs)
• Μεγᾰσθένης (Megasthénēs)
• Σθενέλᾱος (Sthenélāos)
• Σθένελος (Sthénelos)
• Σθενώ (Sthenṓ)
• Τιμοσθένης (Timosthénēs)

 

Descendants

• → Greek: σθένος (sthénos)

Further reading

• “σθένος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• σθένος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• σθένος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • force idem, page 335.
  • lustiness idem, page 505.
  • might idem, page 528.
  • power idem, page 630.
  • strength idem, page 824.
  • thews idem, page 865.
  • vigour idem, page 952.

Greek

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek σθένος (sthénos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsθe.nos/
• Hyphenation: σθέ‧νος

Noun

σθένος • (sthénos) n

1. moral or emotional strength, might, power
2. (chemistry) valence, valency
3. (grammar, linguistics) valency (number of grammatical arguments a verb can take)

Declension

Declension of σθένος

	singular	plural
nominative	σθένος (sthénos)	σθένη (sthéni)
genitive	σθένους (sthénous)	σθενών (sthenón)
accusative	σθένος (sthénos)	σθένη (sthéni)
vocative	σθένος (sthénos)	σθένη (sthéni)

Further reading

• σθένος, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language