μακεδνός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Uncertain.

Traditionally explained as either formed from a nominal construction parallel to μακρός (makrós), μῆκος (mêkos) + suffix -δόν- (-dón-) which is typical for appellations, animal names and nomina actionis[1] and may be zero vocalism of -δόνος (-dónos), -δών- (-dṓn-).[2] It can also be perceived as an arrangement of μηκεδανός (mēkedanós, “long”), in its turn derivation of μῆκος (mêkos).[2] Hesychius records μακεδνή (fem) as 'long, tall'.[3]

Beekes suggests a Pre-Greek non-Indo-European origin,[4] however, de Decker and Nikolaev both reject the argument.[5]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ma.ke.dnós/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ma.keˈdnos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ma.ceˈðnos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ma.ceˈðnos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ma.ceˈðnos/

Adjective

μᾰκεδνός • (makednós) m (feminine μᾰκεδνή, neuter μᾰκεδνόν); first/second declension

tall, taper
- 8th century BC, Ὅμηρος, Ὀδύσσεια, 7.106
  αἱ δ' ἱστοὺς ὑφόωσι καὶ ἠλάκατα στρωφῶσιν ἥμεναι, οἱά τε φύλλα μακεδνῆς αἰγείροιο·
  hai d' histoùs huphóōsi kaì ēlákata strōphôsin hḗmenai, hoiá te phúlla makednês aigeíroio;
  and they sat, looking down on looms and turning wool; moving like leaves of a tall poplar.

Inflection

First and second declension of μᾰκεδνός; μᾰκεδνή; μᾰκεδνόν (Attic)

Number	Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	μᾰκεδνός makednós	μᾰκεδνή makednḗ	μᾰκεδνόν makednón	μᾰκεδνώ makednṓ	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ makednā́	μᾰκεδνώ makednṓ	μᾰκεδνοί makednoí	μᾰκεδναί makednaí	μᾰκεδνᾰ́ makedná
Genitive	μᾰκεδνοῦ makednoû	μᾰκεδνῆς makednês	μᾰκεδνοῦ makednoû	μᾰκεδνοῖν makednoîn	μᾰκεδναῖν makednaîn	μᾰκεδνοῖν makednoîn	μᾰκεδνῶν makednôn	μᾰκεδνῶν makednôn	μᾰκεδνῶν makednôn
Dative	μᾰκεδνῷ makednôi	μᾰκεδνῇ makednêi	μᾰκεδνῷ makednôi	μᾰκεδνοῖν makednoîn	μᾰκεδναῖν makednaîn	μᾰκεδνοῖν makednoîn	μᾰκεδνοῖς makednoîs	μᾰκεδναῖς makednaîs	μᾰκεδνοῖς makednoîs
Accusative	μᾰκεδνόν makednón	μᾰκεδνήν makednḗn	μᾰκεδνόν makednón	μᾰκεδνώ makednṓ	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ makednā́	μᾰκεδνώ makednṓ	μᾰκεδνούς makednoús	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ς makednā́s	μᾰκεδνᾰ́ makedná
Vocative	μᾰκεδνέ makedné	μᾰκεδνή makednḗ	μᾰκεδνόν makednón	μᾰκεδνώ makednṓ	μᾰκεδνᾱ́ makednā́	μᾰκεδνώ makednṓ	μᾰκεδνοί makednoí	μᾰκεδναί makednaí	μᾰκεδνᾰ́ makedná
Derived forms	Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
Derived forms	μᾰκεδνῶς makednôs			μᾰκεδνότερος makednóteros			μᾰκεδνότᾰτος makednótatos
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Related terms

Μακεδών (Makedṓn)

References

Frisk, Hjalmar (1970) “μακεδνός”, in Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume II, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, page 163: “μακε-δν-ός (...) ein suffixales -δόν- ist in Tiernamen, sonstigen Appellativen, sowie in Nom. actionis u. a. zu Hause. Als Grundlage dürfte eine mit μακ-ρός, μῆ-κος parallel gehende nominale Bildung gedient haben.”
Chantraine, Pierre (1968–1980) “μακεδνός”, in Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque (in French), Paris: Klincksieck, pages 659–660: “-δν-o peut représenter un vocalisme zéro d’un suffix -δών-, -δόνος... Dérivés tardifs et rares: μηκεδανός « long » (AP, Nonnus), arrangement de μακεδνός.”
Hesychius of Alexandria, Glossae
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
http://www.ejournals.eu/Studia-Linguistica/2016/Issue%202/art/7742/