ἄνθρωπος

• ἅνθρωπος (hánthrōpos) — Attic, crasis with definite article ὁ (ho)
• ὥνθρωπος (hṓnthrōpos) — Ionic, crasis with definite article ὁ (ho)
• ἀνθρωπώ (anthrōpṓ) — Laconian
• 𐠀𐠰𐠦𐠡𐠩 (a-to-ro-po-se) — Cypriot

First attested in Hellenic as Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀵𐀫𐀦 (a-to-ro-qo), of uncertain origin. Scholars used to consider it to be a compound from ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”) and ὤψ (ṓps, “face, appearance, look”): thus, "he who looks like a man". However, a δ (d) would be expected to develop by epenthesis, as in the genitive ἀνδρός (andrós), yielding *ἀνδρωπος (*andrōpos). Rosén defends this etymology, positing that the original laryngeal *h₃ in the root for ὤψ (ṓps) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ókʷs) changed the δ to its aspirated counterpart θ even across the intervening ρ.[1]

Beekes argues that since no convincing Indo-European etymology has been found, the word is probably of Pre-Greek origin; he connects the word with the word δρώψ (drṓps, “man”). According to Beekes (2009:xxix), "Shift of aspiration is found in some cases: θριγκός / τριγχός, ἀθραγένη / ἀνδράχνη".[2]

Garnier proposes a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥dʰéreh₃kʷós (“that which is below”) (from *n̥dʰér + *-h₃kʷ-o-), hence "earthly, human".[3]

The word is treated in Plato's Cratylus.[4]

ἄνθρωπος • (ánthrōpos) m or f (genitive ἀνθρώπου); second declension (Epic, Attic, Ionic, Doric, Koine)

1. human being, person (as differentiated from gods, beasts, etc.); man, woman
2. (philosophical) man, humanity
3. (sometimes in the plural) all human beings, mankind
4. (in feminine, derogatory) female slave

• (female slave):

• → Greek: άνθρωπος (ánthropos, “man”)

• “ἄνθρωπος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἄνθρωπος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἄνθρωπος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἄνθρωπος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• 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
• ἄνθρωπος in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἄνθρωπος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “ἄνθρωπος”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G444 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.
  • being idem, page 72.
  • man idem, page 510.
  • mortal idem, page 541.
• Hofmann, J. B. (1949) “ἄνθρωπος”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Griechischen‎ (in German), Munich: R. Oldenbourg