Δημήτηρ

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Δᾱμᾱ́τηρ (Dāmā́tēr) – Doric, Aeolic
Δᾱμᾱ́ταρ (Dāmā́tar) – Arcadocypriot
Δημήτρᾱ (Dēmḗtrā)

Etymology

The second half is generally believed to be μήτηρ (mḗtēr, “mother”). The first element, δᾶ[1], is classically explained as the Attic/Ionic variant of an archaic Doric form of γῆ (gê, “earth”).

The supposed Aeolic form "Δωμάτηρ" is only attested through a reconstructed inscription from the 2nd century B.C. in Aigai. The inscription reads "[]ω[]ατρος," which has been read, as reported in Richard Bohn's "Altertümer von Aegae" as a genitive form of Δωμάτηρ. However, as Chantraine says, "The dialectal forms, notably Δωμάτηρ, don't offer any help to etymology," and it's disputable whether the inscription reads as such.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /dɛː.mɛ̌ː.tɛːr/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /de̝ˈme̝.te̝r/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ðiˈmi.tir/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ðiˈmi.tir/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ðiˈmi.tir/

Proper noun

Δημήτηρ • (Dēmḗtēr) f (genitive Δήμητρος); third declension

(Greek mythology) Demeter

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ Δημήτηρ; τῆς Δήμητρος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ἡ Δημήτηρ hē Dēmḗtēr
Genitive	τῆς Δήμητρος tês Dḗmētros
Dative	τῇ Δήμητρῐ têi Dḗmētri
Accusative	τὴν Δήμητρᾰ tḕn Dḗmētra
Vocative	Δήμητερ Dḗmēter
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ἡ Δημήτηρ; τῆς Δημήτερος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ἡ Δημήτηρ hē Dēmḗtēr
Genitive	τῆς Δημήτερος tês Dēmḗteros
Dative	τῇ Δημήτερῐ têi Dēmḗteri
Accusative	τὴν Δημήτερᾰ tḕn Dēmḗtera
Vocative	Δήμητερ Dḗmēter
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

Δημήτριος (Dēmḗtrios)

Related terms

Δηώ (Dēṓ)

Descendants

Greek: Δημήτηρ m (Dimítir); Δήμητρα f (Dímitra); Δημήτριος m (Dimítrios); δημητριακά n or pl (dimitriaká, “cereal, breakfast cereal”)
Latin: Demeter
→ Russian: Деме́тра (Demétra)

References

"δᾶ" in Liddell & Scott 1940

“Δημήτηρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“Δημήτηρ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“Δημήτηρ”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
Δημήτηρ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2023)
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,008
Julius Pokorny (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, in 3 vols, Bern, München: Francke Verlag
Richard Bohn (1889), "Altertümer von Aegae"