ἀρσενικόν

ἀρσενικόν

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀρσενίκιον n (arseníkion), ἀρρενική f (arrhenikḗ)

Etymology

Of Semitic origin (compare Classical Syriac ܙܪܢܝܟܐ‎ (zarnīḵā, “orpiment”)) under the strong influence of ἀρσενικός (arsenikós, “male, virile”), from Middle Persian *zarnīk, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“yellow”). See arsenic for more cognates.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ar.se.ni.kón/ → /ar.se.niˈkon/ → /ar.se.niˈkon/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ar.se.ni.kón/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ar.se.niˈkon/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ar.se.niˈkon/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ar.se.niˈkon/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ar.se.niˈkon/

Noun

ἀρσενῐκόν • (arsenikón) f (genitive ἀρσενῐκοῦ); first declension

1. (mineralogy) orpiment, yellow sulfide of arsenic
2. arsenic (chemical element 33) (later meaning, not attested up to the 5^th c. CE)

Usage notes

Only the meaning "orpiment, arsenic sulfide" is attested in classical sources; the later shift to "arsenic metal" is found in the period of late Koine Greek to early Byzantine Greek, when σανδαράχη (sandaráchi, “realgar (initially)”) begins referring to both realgar and orpiment (red and yellow arsenic sulfides).

Inflection

Second declension of τὸ ἀρσενῐκόν; τοῦ ἀρσενῐκοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ἀρσενῐκόν tò arsenikón	τὼ ἀρσενῐκώ tṑ arsenikṓ	τᾰ̀ ἀρσενῐκᾰ́ tà arseniká
Genitive	τοῦ ἀρσενῐκοῦ toû arsenikoû	τοῖν ἀρσενῐκοῖν toîn arsenikoîn	τῶν ἀρσενῐκῶν tôn arsenikôn
Dative	τῷ ἀρσενῐκῷ tôi arsenikôi	τοῖν ἀρσενῐκοῖν toîn arsenikoîn	τοῖς ἀρσενῐκοῖς toîs arsenikoîs
Accusative	τὸ ἀρσενῐκόν tò arsenikón	τὼ ἀρσενῐκώ tṑ arsenikṓ	τᾰ̀ ἀρσενῐκᾰ́ tà arseniká
Vocative	ἀρσενῐκόν arsenikón	ἀρσενῐκώ arsenikṓ	ἀρσενῐκᾰ́ arseniká
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Descendants

• Greek: αρσενικό (arsenikó)
• → Latin: arrenicum
• → Latin: arsenicum
  • Catalan: arsènic
  • Galician: arsénico
  • Italian: arsenico
  • Occitan: arsenic
  • Portuguese: arsénico
  • Spanish: arsénico
  • → Dutch: arsenicum
  • → German: Arsen
    • → Dutch: arseen
      • Afrikaans: arseen
  • → Old French: arsenic
    • Middle French: arsenic
    • → Middle English: arsenik
      • English: arsenic
        • → Irish: arsanaic

Further reading

• “ἀρσενικόν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN