σίδηρος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

σίδᾱρος (sídāros) — Doric
σίδηρον (sídēron) — Epic

Etymology

Unclear and debated:[1]

One view compares it with Latin sīdus (“constellation, meteorite”), with this possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- (“to sweat”), whence Latin sūdor (“sweat, moisture”), Ancient Greek ἱδρώς (hidrṓs, “sweat, perspiration”), English sweat.
One theory connects the word to words for "silver", like Lithuanian sidãbras and, by proxy, English silver.
Another theory compares it with Udi zido (“iron”), indicating a Northeast Caucasian loanword. This is quite feasible, as the Greeks likely first learned of iron from Asia Minor.
Finally, the word is very likely of Pre-Greek origin given its semantics, which has been compared with Ancient Greek σίδη (sídē, “pomegranate”), linked to the reconstruction *sida (“red”) thereby giving the meaning of σίδηρος (sídēros) as "red metal" (perhaps in relation to its red oxide ores and minerals).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sí.dɛː.ros/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.de̝.ros/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ros/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ros/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ros/

Noun

σῐ́δηρος • (sídēros) m (genitive σῐδήρου); second declension

iron
- c. 90 AD, John of Patmos, Book of Revelation 18:12:
  γόμον χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ λίθου τιμίου καὶ μαργαρίτου καὶ βυσσίνου καὶ σηρικοῦ καὶ κοκκίνου, καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐκ ξύλου τιμιωτάτου καὶ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου καὶ μαρμάρου, […]
  gómon khrusoû kaì argúrou kaì líthou timíou kaì margarítou kaì bussínou kaì sērikoû kaì kokkínou, kaì pân xúlon thúïnon kaì pân skeûos elephántinon kaì pân skeûos ek xúlou timiōtátou kaì khalkoû kaì sidḗrou kaì marmárou, […]
  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, […]
iron tool, iron implement
sword
sickle
blacksmith's shop, smithy
(figuratively) something hard, a stubborn force

Declension

Second declension of ὁ σῐ́δηρος; τοῦ σῐδήρου (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ σῐ́δηρος ho sídēros	τὼ σῐδήρω tṑ sidḗrō	οἱ σῐ́δηροι hoi sídēroi
Genitive	τοῦ σῐδήρου toû sidḗrou	τοῖν σῐδήροιν toîn sidḗroin	τῶν σῐδήρων tôn sidḗrōn
Dative	τῷ σῐδήρῳ tôi sidḗrōi	τοῖν σῐδήροιν toîn sidḗroin	τοῖς σῐδήροις toîs sidḗrois
Accusative	τὸν σῐ́δηρον tòn sídēron	τὼ σῐδήρω tṑ sidḗrō	τοὺς σῐδήρους toùs sidḗrous
Vocative	σῐ́δηρε sídēre	σῐδήρω sidḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sídēroi
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of σῐ́δηρος; σῐδήρου (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	σῐ́δηρος sídēros	σῐδήρω sidḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sídēroi
Genitive	σῐδήρου / σῐδηροῖο / σῐδήροιο / σῐδηρόο / σῐδήροο sidḗrou / sidēroîo / sidḗroio / sidēróo / sidḗroo	σῐδήροιῐν sidḗroiin	σῐδήρων sidḗrōn
Dative	σῐδήρῳ sidḗrōi	σῐδήροιῐν sidḗroiin	σῐδήροισῐ / σῐδήροισῐν / σῐδήροις sidḗroisi(n) / sidḗrois
Accusative	σῐ́δηρον sídēron	σῐδήρω sidḗrō	σῐδήρους sidḗrous
Vocative	σῐ́δηρε sídēre	σῐδήρω sidḗrō	σῐ́δηροι sídēroi
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Derived terms

ἀκροσίδηρος (akrosídēros, “pointed or tipped with iron”)
ἀσίδηρος (asídēros, “not of iron”)
αὐτοσίδηρος (autosídēros, “of sheer iron”)
βαρυσίδηρος (barusídēros, “heavy with iron”)
βραχυσίδηρος (brakhusídēros, “(of a dart) with a short, small head”)
εὐσίδηρος (eusídēros, “well-ironed”)
κατασιδηρόω (katasidēróō, “to plate with iron”)
μακροσίδηρος (makrosídēros)
ὁλοσίδηρος (holosídēros, “all iron”)
περισιδηρόομαι (perisidēróomai, “to be cased with iron”)
περισίδηρος (perisídēros, “cased with iron”)
σιδηραγωγός (sidēragōgós, “attracting iron”)
σιδηρεία (sidēreía, “working in iron”)
σιδηρεῖα (sidēreîa, “iron-works, iron-mines”)
σιδηρένδετος (sidēréndetos, “iron-banded”)
σιδηρεόεις (sidēreóeis)
σιδήρεος (sidḗreos, “made of iron”)
σιδηρεύς (sidēreús, “worker in iron, smith”)
σιδηρεύω (sidēreúō, “to work in iron”)
σιδηρήεις (sidērḗeis)
σιδηρίζω (sidērízō, “to be like iron”)
σιδήριον (sidḗrion, “implement”)
σιδηριουργός (sidēriourgós)
σιδηρίσκος (sidērískos)
σιδηρίτης (sidērítēs, “of iron”)
σιδηρῖτις (sidērîtis, “ironwort”)
σιδηροβασταγή (sidērobastagḗ, “provision, supply of iron”)
σιδηρόβαφος (sidēróbaphos, “of ferruginous colour”)
σιδηροβόλιον (sidērobólion, “anchor”)
σιδηροβόρος (sidērobóros, “a file”)
σιδηροβριθής (sidērobrithḗs, “iron-loaded”)
σιδηροβρώς (sidērobrṓs, “iron-eating”)
σιδηροδάκτυλος (sidērodáktulos, “iron-fingered”)
σιδηροδέσμος (sidērodésmos, “with bonds of iron”)
σιδηροδετέω (sidērodetéō, “to bind in iron”)
σιδηρόδετος (sidēródetos, “iron-bound”)
σιδηρόεις (sidēróeis)
σιδηροθήκη (sidērothḗkē, “armoury”)
σιδηροθώραξ (sidērothṓrax, “with iron breastplate”)
σιδηροκατάδικος (sidērokatádikos, “condemned to the iron”)
σιδηροκμής (sidērokmḗs, “slain by iron”)
σιδηροκόλεος (sidērokóleos, “iron-sheathed”)
σιδηροκόντρα (sidērokóntra, “with barbed iron spears”)
σιδηροκόπος (sidērokópos)
σιδηρόκωπος (sidērókōpos, “armed with iron”)
σιδηρομήτωρ (sidēromḗtōr, “mother of iron”)
σιδηρονόμος (sidēronómos, “distributing with iron”)
σιδηρόνωτος (sidērónōtos, “iron-backed”)
σιδηροπέδη (sidēropédē, “iron fetter”)
σιδηρόπλαστος (sidēróplastos, “moulded of iron”)
σιδηρόπληκτος (sidēróplēktos, “smitten by iron”)
σιδηρόπλοκος (sidēróplokos, “plaited of iron”)
σιδηροπλύτης (sidēroplútēs, “one who washes iron”)
σιδηροποίκιλος (sidēropoíkilos, “a variegated stone”)
σιδηρόπους (sidērópous, “iron-footed”)
σιδηρόπτερος (sidērópteros, “iron-winged”)
σιδηροπώλης (sidēropṓlēs, “ironmonger”)
σιδηρόσπαρτος (sidēróspartos, “sown by iron”)
σιδηροσφαγία (sidērosphagía, “slaying with the sword”)
σιδηροτέκτων (sidērotéktōn, “worker in iron”)
σιδηρότευκτος (sidēróteuktos, “wrought of iron”)
σιδηροτόκος (sidērotókos, “producing iron”)
σιδηροτομέω (sidērotoméō, “to cut with iron”)
σιδηρότροχος (sidērótrokhos, “with iron wheels”)
σιδηροτρύπανον (sidērotrúpanon, “iron borer”)
σιδηρότρωτος (sidērótrōtos, “wounded with iron”)
σιδηρουργεῖον (sidērourgeîon, “iron-mine”)
σιδηρουργία (sidērourgía, “working in iron”)
σιδηρουργός (sidērourgós, “iron-worker, smith”)
σιδηροῦς (sidēroûs)
σιδηροφάγος (sidērophágos, “eating into iron”)
σιδηροφορέω (sidērophoréō, “to bear iron”)
σιδηροφόρος (sidērophóros, “producing iron”)
σιδηρόφρων (sidēróphrōn, “of iron heart”)
σιδηροφυής (sidērophuḗs, “of iron nature”)
σιδηροχαλκεύς (sidērokhalkeús, “smith”)
σιδηρόχαλκος (sidērókhalkos, “of iron and copper”)
σιδηροχάρμης (sidērokhármēs, “fighting”)
σιδηροχίτων (sidērokhítōn, “with iron tunic”)
σιδηρόψυχος (sidērópsukhos, “iron-hearted”)
σιδηρόω (sidēróō, “to overlay with iron”)
σιδηρώδης (sidērṓdēs, “of iron”)
σιδήρωμα (sidḗrōma, “iron fittings”)
σιδηρωρυχεῖον (sidērōrukheîon, “iron-mine”)
σιδήρωσις (sidḗrōsis, “iron-work”)
σιδηρωτός (sidērōtós, “iron-bound”)
τμητοσίδηρος (tmētosídēros, “cut down with iron”)
ὑποσίδηρος (huposídēros, “having a mixture or proportion of iron in it”)
ὑποσιδηρόω (huposidēróō)
χειροσιδήριον (kheirosidḗrion, “grapnel, grappling hook”)

References

“σίδηρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“σίδηρος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“σίδηρος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
σίδηρος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
σίδηρος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
G4604 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- axe idem, page 57.
- brand idem, page 93.
- iron idem, page 459.
- pick-axe idem, page 611.
- rapier idem, page 672.
- steel idem, page 815.
- sword idem, page 849.
“σίδηρος”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, 2011

Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “σῐ́δηρος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1329

Greek

Alternative forms

σίδερο n (sídero) (the everyday name for the metal)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σίδηρος (sídēros), whence also the vernacular forms Byzantine Greek σίδερον n (síderon) and σίδερο (sídero) (an etymological doublet). See σίδηρος (sídēros) for the ultimately disputed etymology.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ði.ɾos/

Noun

σίδηρος • (sídiros) m (usually uncountable, plural σίδηροι)

(chemistry) iron (chemical element)
(formal) iron: Εποχή του Σιδήρου f (Epochí tou Sidírou, “Iron Age”)

Declension

declension of σίδηρος

case \ number	singular	plural
nominative	σίδηρος •	σίδηροι •
genitive	σίδηρου •, σιδήρου •	σίδηρων •, σιδήρων •
accusative	σίδηρο •	σίδηρους •, σιδήρους •
vocative	σίδηρε •	σίδηροι •
Second forms are formal.

Coordinate terms

Appendix:Greek names for chemical elements

Related terms

see: σίδερο n (sídero, “iron”, everyday term)
διά πυρός και σιδήρου (diá pyrós kai sidírou, “trial by fire”, literally “through fire and iron”)
λευκοσίδηρος m (lefkosídiros, “tin-plate”)
σιδηρι- (sidiri-, “ferrous (in chemistry)”)
σιδηρο- (sidiro-, “ferric (in chemistry)”)
σιδηρικυανιούχος (sidirikyanioúchos, “ferrocyanide”, adjective)
σιδηροκυανιούχος (sidirokyanioúchos, “ferricyanide”, adjective)
σιδηροβιομηχανία f (sidiroviomichanía, “iron industry”)
σιδηροδέσμιος (sidirodésmios, “constrained in chains”, adjective)
σιδηροδημήτριο n (sidirodimítrio, “ferrocerium”)
σιδηροδοκός f (sidirodokós, “iron beam”)
σιδηρόδρομος m (sidiródromos, “railway”)
σιδηρόκραμα n (sidirókrama, “ferroalloy”)
σιδηρολοστός m (sidirolostós, “iron crowbar”)
σιδηρομαγγάνιο n (sidiromangánio, “ferromanganese”)
σιδηρονικέλιο n (sidironikélio, “ferronickel”)
σιδηροπαγής (sidiropagís, “reinforced with iron bars”, adjective)
σιδηροπενία f (sidiropenía, “iron deficiency”)
σιδηροπυρίτης n (sidiropyrítis, “iron pyrite”)
σιδηροπωλείο n (sidiropoleío, “ironmongery”)
σιδηροσωλήνας m (sidirosolínas, “iron pipe”)
σιδηροτροχιά f (sidirotrochiá, “rails of a railroad”)
σιδηρουργείο n (sidirourgeío, “blacksmithery”)
σιδηρουργία f (sidirourgía, “ironworking”)
σιδηρούχος (sidiroúchos, “ferrous (in metallurgy)”, adjective)
σιδηροχρώμιο n (sidirochrómio, “ferrochromium”)
χυτοσίδηρος m (chytosídiros, “cast iron”)

σίδηρος

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

References

Greek

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Coordinate terms

Related terms

Further reading