ἄλσος

See also: άλσος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Traditionally derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“to grow, nourish”), the same root of Latin alō, alumnus, oleō and English old. On the other hand, Beekes connects the word with the proper noun Ἄλτις (Áltis), the name of a sacred enclosure dedicated to Zeus in Olympia; on this basis one could reconstruct the noun as *alti̯os. Furnée accepts the equation, but interprets it in the context of other instances of an interchange of dental and sibilant in Pre-Greek words, like ἄννησον (ánnēson) and ἄνηθον (ánēthon).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ál.sos/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈal.sos/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈal.sos/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈal.sos/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈal.sos/

Noun

ἄλσος • (álsos) n (genitive ἄλσεος or ἄλσους); third declension

grove, especially a sacred one
(transferred sense) any hallowed precinct, even one without trees

Declension

Third declension of τὸ ᾰ̓́λσος; τοῦ ᾰ̓́λσους (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	τὸ ᾰ̓́λσος tò álsos	τὼ ᾰ̓́λσει tṑ álsei	τᾰ̀ ᾰ̓́λση tà álsē
Genitive	τοῦ ᾰ̓́λσους toû álsous	τοῖν ᾰ̓λσοῖν toîn alsoîn	τῶν ᾰ̓λσῶν tôn alsôn
Dative	τῷ ᾰ̓́λσει tôi álsei	τοῖν ᾰ̓λσοῖν toîn alsoîn	τοῖς ᾰ̓́λσεσῐ / ᾰ̓́λσεσῐν toîs álsesi(n)
Accusative	τὸ ᾰ̓́λσος tò álsos	τὼ ᾰ̓́λσει tṑ álsei	τᾰ̀ ᾰ̓́λση tà álsē
Vocative	ᾰ̓́λσος álsos	ᾰ̓́λσει álsei	ᾰ̓́λση álsē
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἀλσηῐ́ς (alsēís)
ἀλσοκομέω (alsokoméō)
ἀλσοκόμος (alsokómos)
ἀλσοκομῐκή (alsokomikḗ)
ἀλσοκομῐκός (alsokomikós)
ἀλσοκομῐ́ᾱ (alsokomíā)
ἀλσοποιία (alsopoiía)
ἀλσώδης (alsṓdēs)
ἄλσωμᾰ (álsōma)
ἀλσών (alsṓn)
ἀλσῐ́νη (alsínē)

Descendants

Greek: άλσος (álsos)