μείς

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

μήν (mḗn) – Attic
μής (mḗs) – Laconian
μεύς (meús) – Elean

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *méns, from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s, itself possibly from *meh₁- (“measure”). Cognate with Latin mensis, Proto-Germanic *mēnan- (English moon, month), Old Armenian ամիս (amis), Old Irish mí, Proto-Slavic *měsęcь (Russian месяц (mesjac, “moon, month”)).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /měːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /mis/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /mis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /mis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /mis/

Noun

μείς • (meís) f (genitive μηνός); third declension

month
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 19.114:
  ἣ δ’ ἐκύει φίλον υἱόν, ὃ δ’ ἕβδομος ἑστήκει μείς
  hḕ d’ ekúei phílon huión, hò d’ hébdomos hestḗkei meís
  And she bore a beloved son; and the seventh month was come.
visible part of the moon
- 371 BCE – 287 BCE, Theophrastus, On Weather Signs 27

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ μείς; τοῦ μηνός (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μείς ho meís	τὼ μῆνε tṑ mêne	οἱ μῆνες hoi mênes
Genitive	τοῦ μηνός toû mēnós	τοῖν μηνοῖν toîn mēnoîn	τῶν μηνῶν tôn mēnôn
Dative	τῷ μηνῐ́ tôi mēní	τοῖν μηνοῖν toîn mēnoîn	τοῖς μησῐ́ / μησῐ́ν toîs mēsí(n)
Accusative	τὸν μῆνᾰ tòn mêna	τὼ μῆνε tṑ mêne	τοὺς μῆνᾰς toùs mênas
Vocative	μείς meís	μῆνε mêne	μῆνες mênes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ μής; τοῦ μηννός (Aeolic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μής ho mḗs	τὼ μῆννε tṑ mênne	οἱ μῆννες hoi mênnes
Genitive	τοῦ μηννός toû mēnnós	τοῖν μηννοῖν toîn mēnnoîn	τῶν μηννῶν tôn mēnnôn
Dative	τῷ μηννῐ́ tôi mēnní	τοῖν μηννοῖν toîn mēnnoîn	τοῖς μηνσῐ́ / μηνσῐ́ν toîs mēnsí(n)
Accusative	τὸν μῆννᾰ tòn mênna	τὼ μῆννε tṑ mênne	τοὺς μῆννᾰς toùs mênnas
Vocative	μής mḗs	μῆννε mênne	μῆννες mênnes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Third declension of ὁ μείς; τοῖ μειννός (Thessalian)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μείς ho meís	τοὺ μεῖννε toù meînne	οἱ μεῖννες hoi meînnes
Genitive	τοῖ μειννός toî meinnós	τοῖν μειννοῖν toîn meinnoîn	τοῦν μειννῶν toûn meinnôn
Dative	τοῦ μειννῐ́ toû meinní	τοῖν μειννοῖν toîn meinnoîn	τοῖς μείννεσσῐ / μείννεσσῐν toîs meínnessi(n)
Accusative	τὸν μεῖννᾰ tòn meînna	τὼ μεῖννε tṑ meînne	τὸς μεῖννᾰς tòs meînnas
Vocative	μείς meís	μεῖννε meînne	μεῖννες meînnes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

δεκάμηνος (dekámēnos)
δίμηνος (dímēnos)
διχόμηνος (dikhómēnos)
δυοκαιδεκάμηνος (duokaidekámēnos)
δυωδεκάμηνος (duōdekámēnos)
δωδεκάμηνος (dōdekámēnos)
είκοσάμηνος (eíkosámēnos)
ἕκμηνος (hékmēnos)
ἔμμηνος (émmēnos)
ἑνδεκάμηνος (hendekámēnos)
ἐννεάμηνος (enneámēnos)
ἑξάμηνος (hexámēnos)
ἐπέμμηνος (epémmēnos)
ἑπτάμηνος (heptámēnos)
ἠλιτόμηνος (ēlitómēnos)
μηνάς (mēnás)
μηναῖος (mēnaîos)
μήνη (mḗnē)
μηνιάρχης (mēniárkhēs)
Μηνιασταί (Mēniastaí)
μηνιαστεία (mēniasteía)
μηνιαῖος (mēniaîos)
μηνιεῖος (mēnieîos)
μηνίσκος (mēnískos)
μηνοειδής (mēnoeidḗs)
μηνολόγιον (mēnológion)
ὀκτάμηνος (oktámēnos)
ὁποσάμηνος (hoposámēnos)
πάμμηνος (pámmēnos)
πεντάμηνος (pentámēnos)
σύμμηνος (súmmēnos)
τελεόμηνος (teleómēnos)
τετράμηνος (tetrámēnos)
τρεισκαιδεκάμηνος (treiskaidekámēnos)
τριακοντάμηνος (triakontámēnos)
τρίμηνος (trímēnos)

Descendants

Greek: μήνας (mínas)

References

μείς in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
μείς in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
μείς in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
μείς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
μείς in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter