ἰσθμός

See also: Ἰσθμός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

A derivation from εἶμι (eîmi, “to go”) with a suffix "-θμο-" has been assumed, comparing also Old Norse eið (“isthmus”). However, the "-σ-" is unexplained, so the word could well be of Pre-Greek origin.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /istʰ.mós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /istʰˈmos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /isθˈmos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /isθˈmos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /isθˈmos/

Noun

ἰσθμός • (isthmós) m (genitive ἰσθμοῦ); second declension

neck, narrow passage of the body
(anatomy) pharynx, fauces
isthmus, neck of land between two seas
strait, narrow channel

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ ἰσθμός; τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ἰσθμός ho isthmós	τὼ ἰσθμώ tṑ isthmṓ	οἱ ἰσθμοί hoi isthmoí
Genitive	τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ toû isthmoû	τοῖν ἰσθμοῖν toîn isthmoîn	τῶν ἰσθμῶν tôn isthmôn
Dative	τῷ ἰσθμῷ tôi isthmôi	τοῖν ἰσθμοῖν toîn isthmoîn	τοῖς ἰσθμοῖς toîs isthmoîs
Accusative	τὸν ἰσθμόν tòn isthmón	τὼ ἰσθμώ tṑ isthmṓ	τοὺς ἰσθμούς toùs isthmoús
Vocative	ἰσθμέ isthmé	ἰσθμώ isthmṓ	ἰσθμοί isthmoí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἰσθμικός (isthmikós)
ἴσθμιον (ísthmion)
ἴσθμιος (ísthmios)
ἰσθμοειδής (isthmoeidḗs)
ἰσθμώδης (isthmṓdēs)
παρίσθμια (parísthmia)

Descendants

Greek: ισθμός (isthmós)
→ Latin: isthmus

References

ἰσθμός in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
ἰσθμός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
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