σέλμα
Ancient Greek
FWOTD – 14 October 2022
Etymology
Cognate with Ancient Greek σελίς (selís, “beam, planing; page of book”), with Old English selma and syll, with Old High German swelli.
Pronunciation
- (5th BCE Attic) IPA(key): /sél.ma/
- (1st CE Egyptian) IPA(key): /ˈsel.ma/
- (4th CE Koine) IPA(key): /ˈsel.ma/
- (10th CE Byzantine) IPA(key): /ˈsel.ma/
- (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA(key): /ˈsel.ma/
Noun
σέλμᾰ • (sélma) n (genitive σέλμᾰτος); third declension
- (shipping) deck, the upper planking of a ship
- (in plural) rowing-benches (in Homer, cf ζυγά (zugá))
- (generally) seat, throne
- 458 BCE, Aeschylus, Agamemnon 179–183:
- στάζει δ’ ἔν θ’ ὕπνῳ πρὸ καρδίας μνησιπήμων πόνος:
καὶ παρ’ ἄκοντας ἦλθε σωφρονεῖν.
δαιμόνων δέ που χάρις βίαιος σέλμα σεμνὸν ἡμένων.- stázei d’ én th’ húpnōi prò kardías mnēsipḗmōn pónos:
kaì par’ ákontas êlthe sōphroneîn.
daimónōn dé pou kháris bíaios sélma semnòn hēménōn. - Even in our sleep, the persistent memory of pain drips upon the heart;
against our will, it came to wisen us,
forcible grace of gods, seated upon their haughty throne.
- stázei d’ én th’ húpnōi prò kardías mnēsipḗmōn pónos:
- More translations at μνησιπήμων and @perseus.tufts.edu
- στάζει δ’ ἔν θ’ ὕπνῳ πρὸ καρδίας μνησιπήμων πόνος:
- (generally) any timberwork; logs of building timber
Inflection
Third declension of τὸ σέλμᾰ; τοῦ σέλμᾰτος (Attic)
Case / # | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | τὸ σέλμᾰ tò sélma | τὼ σέλμᾰτε tṑ sélmate | τᾰ̀ σέλμᾰτᾰ tà sélmata | ||||||||||
Genitive | τοῦ σέλμᾰτος toû sélmatos | τοῖν σελμᾰ́τοιν toîn selmátoin | τῶν σελμᾰ́των tôn selmátōn | ||||||||||
Dative | τῷ σέλμᾰτῐ tôi sélmati | τοῖν σελμᾰ́τοιν toîn selmátoin | τοῖς σέλμᾰσῐ / σέλμᾰσῐν toîs sélmasi(n) | ||||||||||
Accusative | τὸ σέλμᾰ tò sélma | τὼ σέλμᾰτε tṑ sélmate | τᾰ̀ σέλμᾰτᾰ tà sélmata | ||||||||||
Vocative | σέλμᾰ sélma | σέλμᾰτε sélmate | σέλμᾰτᾰ sélmata | ||||||||||
Notes: |
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Related terms
- εὔσελμος (eúselmos, “well-benched”)
- ἐΰσσελμος, ἐύσσελμος (eússelmos, “well-benched”) (in Homer)
- σελμῐ́ς f (selmís, “noose of hair; plank”)
References
- “σέλμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “σέλμα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers