Αἰθίοψ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *aitʰiyokʷs, explained since antiquity as αἴθω (aíthō, “I burn”) +‎ ὤψ (ṓps, “face”), though this is likely a folk etymology. [1]

Beekes argues that the first assumed root always has senses related to brightness and never to darkness, that the -ί- as well as -ο- instead of -ώ- are unexplained, and that -οπ- (-οψ) actually is a typical Pre-Greek substrate suffix observed in ethnonyms like Δόλοψ (Dólops) and Δρύοψ (Drúops). The suffix is shaped differently in Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀂𐀴𐀍𐀦 (a-i-ti-jo-qo).[1] [2]

A connection to this colour however brings closer the native Ethiopian Semitic ዕጣን (ʿəṭan, “incense”) to explain the unsuffixed etymon. Frankincense had the primary characteristic of being white, so also the source of λίβανος (líbanos, “incense”) is a Semitic root related to whiteness. The word might ultimately refer to the incense trade passing from Abyssinia. The folk of Ethiopia was so noted for earning its living by olibanum commerce that the Arabs even derived a term حَبَشَ (ḥabaša, “to earn, to obtain for the household”) from their other ethnonym اَلْحَبَشَة (al-ḥabaša).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ai̯.tʰí.ops/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ɛˈtʰi.ops/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ɛˈθi.ops/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /eˈθi.ops/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /eˈθi.ops/

Noun

Αἰθίοψ • (Aithíops) m (genitive Αἰθίοπος); third declension

Ethiopian

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ Αἰθῐ́οψ; τοῦ Αἰθῐ́οπος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ Αἰθῐ́οψ ho Aithíops	τὼ Αἰθῐ́οπε tṑ Aithíope	οἱ Αἰθῐ́οπες hoi Aithíopes
Genitive	τοῦ Αἰθῐ́οπος toû Aithíopos	τοῖν Αἰθῐόποιν toîn Aithiópoin	τῶν Αἰθῐόπων tôn Aithiópōn
Dative	τῷ Αἰθῐ́οπῐ tôi Aithíopi	τοῖν Αἰθῐόποιν toîn Aithiópoin	τοῖς Αἰθῐ́οψῐ / Αἰθῐ́οψῐν toîs Aithíopsi(n)
Accusative	τὸν Αἰθῐ́οπᾰ tòn Aithíopa	τὼ Αἰθῐ́οπε tṑ Aithíope	τοὺς Αἰθῐ́οπᾰς toùs Aithíopas
Vocative	Αἰθῐ́οψ Aithíops	Αἰθῐ́οπε Aithíope	Αἰθῐ́οπες Aithíopes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

αἰθῐοπῐ́ζω (aithiopízō)
Αἰθῐοπῐκός (Aithiopikós)
αἰθῐοπῐ́ς (aithiopís)
Αἰθῐοπῐ́ς (Aithiopís)

Descendants

Greek: Αιθίοψ (Aithíops), Αιθίοπας (Aithíopas)
→ Latin: Aethiops
- → English: Ethiop

References

R. S. P. Beekes (1995) “Aithiopes”, in Glotta‎, volume 73, number 1/4, pages 12–34
R.S.P. Beekes (1969) The development of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Greek, Paris: Mouton, page 194

“Αἰθίοψ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“Αἰθίοψ”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Bekerie, Ayele (2004) “Ethiopica: Some Historical Reflections on the Origin of the Word Ethiopia”, in International Journal of Ethiopian Studies‎, volume 1, number 2, page 113
Αἰθίοψ in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
“Αἰθίοψ”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
G128 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

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[Beekes_Aithiopians-1] R. S. P. Beekes (1995) “Aithiopes”, in Glotta‎, volume 73, number 1/4, pages 12–34

[2] R.S.P. Beekes (1969) The development of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Greek, Paris: Mouton, page 194