Σπαργαπείθης

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Scythian *Spargapaiθa[1], from *sparga (“scion, descendant”) (cf. Avestan 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬖𐬀‎ (spar^əγa, “sprout”)) + *paiθa (“adornment, decoration”), from an older *paisah (cf. Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀‎ (paēsa)). Alternatively, the second element could be *paiθa, from Common Iranian *paiśa (“outlook”).[2][3]

Compare with Σπαργαπίσης (Spargapísēs), from Scythian *Spargapisa where *paiśa changed to *pisa[4][3], and with Ἀριαπείθης (Ariapeíthēs), from Scythian *Aryapaiθa.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spar.ɡa.pěː.tʰɛːs/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /spar.ɡaˈpi.tʰe̝s/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /spar.ɣaˈpi.θis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /spar.ɣaˈpi.θis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /spar.ɣaˈpi.θis/

Proper noun

Σπαργαπείθης • (Spargapeíthēs) m (genitive Σπαργαπείθεος); third declension

a male given name from Scythian: Spargapeithes, a king of the Agathyrsi

Declension

Third declension of ὁ Σπαργαπείθης; τοῦ Σπαργαπείθεος (uncontracted, Ionic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Σπαργαπείθης ho Spargapeíthēs
Genitive	τοῦ Σπαργαπείθεος / Σπαργαπείθευς toû Spargapeítheos / Spargapeítheus
Dative	τῷ Σπαργαπείθει / Σπαργαπείθεῐ̈ tôi Spargapeíthei / Spargapeítheï
Accusative	τὸν Σπαργαπείθεᾰ tòn Spargapeíthea
Vocative	Σπαργάπειθες Spargápeithes
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Descendants

→ Latin: Spargapeithēs

References

Hinz, Walther (1975), “*spargapaiθa-”, in Altiranisches Sprachgut der Nebenüberlieferungen (Göttinger Orientforschungen, Reihe III, Iranica; 3) (in German), Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, page 226
Rüdiger Schmitt, "SCYTHIAN LANGUAGE", in Encyclopaedia Iranica, April 10, 2018
Kullanda, Sergey Vsevolodovich, External relations of Scythian, p. 1.
Bukharin, Mikhail Dmitrievich, Колаксай и его братья (античная традиция о происхождении царской власти у скифов) [Kolaxais and his Brothers (Classical Tradition on the Origin of the Royal Power of the Scythians)] (in Russian), p. 53.