λιμήν

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Ablaut derivation from Proto-Indo-European *léymō (“lake”); compare λίμνη (límnē). See λειμών (leimṓn) for a descendant in a different ablaut grade.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /li.mɛ̌ːn/ → /liˈmin/ → /liˈmin/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /li.mɛ̌ːn/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /liˈme̝n/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /liˈmin/
• (10^th CE Medieval) IPA^(key): /liˈmin/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /liˈmin/

Noun

λῐμήν • (lĭmḗn) m (genitive λῐμένος); third declension

1. harbor
   • 360 BCE, Plato, Timaeus 25a:

     τάδε μὲν γάρ […] φαίνεται λιμὴν στενόν τινα ἔχων εἴσπλουν

     táde mèn gár […] phaínetai limḕn stenón tina ékhōn eísploun

     For this is apparently a harbor having a narrow entrance.

2. (figuratively) a haven, retreat, refuge
   • c. 445 BCE, Sophocles, Ajax 683:

     τοῖς πολλοῖσι γὰρ βροτῶν ἄπιστός ἐσθ’ ἑταιρείας λιμήν.

     toîs polloîsi gàr brotôn ápistós esth’ hetaireías limḗn.

     For the masses of mortals regard the haven of friendship as treacherous.

Declension

Third declension of ὁ λῐμήν; τοῦ λῐμένος (Attic)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ὁ λῐμήνho lĭmḗn	τὼ λῐμένεtṑ lĭméne	οἱ λῐμένεςhoi lĭménes
genitive	τοῦ λῐμένοςtoû lĭménos	τοῖν λῐμένοινtoîn lĭménoin	τῶν λῐμένωνtôn lĭménōn
dative	τῷ λῐμένῐtōî lĭménĭ	τοῖν λῐμένοινtoîn lĭménoin	τοῖς λῐμέσῐ / λῐμέσῐνtoîs lĭmésĭ(n)
accusative	τὸν λῐμένᾰtòn lĭménă	τὼ λῐμένεtṑ lĭméne	τοὺς λῐμένᾰςtoùs lĭménăs
vocative	λῐμήνlĭmḗn	λῐμένεlĭméne	λῐμένεςlĭménes

• This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• λῐμενᾰ́ρχης (lĭmenắrkhēs)
• λῐμένῐον (lĭménĭon)
• λιμένιος (liménios)
• λῐμενοφῠ́λᾰξ (lĭmenophŭ́lăx)

Descendants

• ⇒ Greek: λιμένας (liménas)
• → Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܠܡܹܐܢܵܐ (lmēnā)
• → Hebrew: נָמֵל (namél) (with metathesis)
• ⇒ Translingual: Limenitis

Further reading

• “λιμήν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press