ἑρμηνεύς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Most plausibly assumed from pre-Carian *armān preceding attested Carian 𐊠𐊥𐊪𐊫𐊵 (armon, “interpreter”).

Older modern etymologies sometimes incorrectly connect it with εἴρω (eírō) (either sense), Latin sermō, folk etymology often connects it with Ἑρμῆς (Hermês)—influence of this word cannot be excluded.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /her.mɛː.něu̯s/ → /er.miˈneɸs/ → /er.miˈnefs/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /her.mɛː.něu̯s/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /(h)er.me̝ˈnews/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /er.miˈneɸs/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /er.miˈnefs/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /er.miˈnefs/

Noun

ἑρμηνεύς • (hermēneús) m (genitive ἑρμηνέως); third declension

1. interpreter, dragoman, expounder

   Synonym: ἑρμηνευτής (hermēneutḗs)

2. matchmaker
3. broker, commissionaire

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ ἑρμηνεύς; τοῦ ἑρμηνέως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἑρμηνεύς ho hermēneús	τὼ ἑρμηνῆ tṑ hermēnê	οἱ ἑρμηνῆς / ἑρμηνεῖς hoi hermēnês / hermēneîs
Genitive	τοῦ ἑρμηνέως toû hermēnéōs	τοῖν ἑρμηνέοιν toîn hermēnéoin	τῶν ἑρμηνέων tôn hermēnéōn
Dative	τῷ ἑρμηνεῖ tôi hermēneî	τοῖν ἑρμηνέοιν toîn hermēnéoin	τοῖς ἑρμηνεῦσῐ / ἑρμηνεῦσῐν toîs hermēneûsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ἑρμηνέᾱ tòn hermēnéā	τὼ ἑρμηνῆ tṑ hermēnê	τοὺς ἑρμηνέᾱς toùs hermēnéās
Vocative	ἑρμηνεῦ hermēneû	ἑρμηνῆ hermēnê	ἑρμηνῆς / ἑρμηνεῖς hermēnês / hermēneîs
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ἑρμηνεύω (hermēneúō)
  • ἑρμηνείᾱ (hermēneíā)

Descendants

• English: hermeneutics

Further reading

• “ἑρμηνεύς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press