μῆρα

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 22 May 2016

Alternative forms

• μῆρε du (mêre)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /mɛ̂ː.ra/ → /ˈmi.ra/ → /ˈmi.ra/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /mɛ̂ː.ra/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈme̝.ra/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.ra/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.ra/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.ra/

Noun

μῆρᾰ • (mêra) n pl (genitive μήρων); second declension

1. thigh-bones (femora) wrapped in two folds of fat for votive immolation
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 1.464
   • 500 BCE – 400 BCE, Bacchylides, Fr. 3.4
   • 421 BCE, Aristophanes, Peace 1088
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 3.179

Declension

Second declension of τᾰ̀ μῆρᾰ; τῶν μήρων (Attic)

Case / #	Plural
Nominative	τᾰ̀ μῆρᾰ tà mêra
Genitive	τῶν μήρων tôn mḗrōn
Dative	τοῖς μήροις toîs mḗrois
Accusative	τᾰ̀ μῆρᾰ tà mêra
Vocative	μῆρᾰ mêra
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Related terms

• μηρία (mēría)
• μηρός (mērós)

References

• “μῆρα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “μῆρα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “μῆρα”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• μῆρα in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963