ἀάατος

Ancient Greek

FWOTD – 2 January 2018

Etymology

Both the meaning and the etymology are uncertain. Possibly from ἀάω (aáō, “I hurt, damage”) with privative alpha ἀ- (a-) (negation) and -τος (-tos). In this case it might also be related to ἄτη, which, in the epic period, meant a kind of mental blindness or infatuation. Traditionally, this led to an explanation of the word as "immune to ἄτη." Neither ἀάω nor ἄτη is definitively linked to any known PIE root, although phonetic rules could connect them to a PIE h₂euh₂-.

An alternative hypothesis given for the use of the word as a Homeric epithet for the Styx is from Proto-Indo-European *n̥seh₂wn̥tos (“sunless”).

Pronunciation

In most cases:

 

• IPA^(key): /a.ǎː.a.tos/ → /aˈa.a.tos/ → /aˈa.a.tos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.ǎː.a.tos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/

In Iliad 14.271:

 

• IPA^(key): /a.ǎː.aː.tos/ → /aˈa.a.tos/ → /aˈa.a.tos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.ǎː.aː.tos/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /aˈa.a.tos/

Adjective

ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτος • (aā́atos) m or f (neuter ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτον); second declension (Homeric)

The meanings are uncertain and inferred from context.

1. inviolable
   • 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 14.269–276:

     Ὣς φάτο, χήρατο δ’ Ὕπνος, ἀμειβόμενος δὲ προσηύδα·
     «ἄγρει νῦν μοι ὄμοσσον ἀάατον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ,
     χειρὶ δὲ τῇ ἑτέρῃ μὲν ἕλε χθόνα πουλυβότειραν,
     τῇ δ’ ἑτέρῃ ἅλα μαρμαρέην, ἵνα νῶϊν ἅπαντες
     μάρτυροι ὦσ’ οἳ ἔνερθε θεοὶ Κρόνον ἀμφὶς ἐόντες,
     ἦ μὲν ἐμοὶ δώσειν Χαρίτων μίαν ὁπλοτεράων,
     Πασιθέην, ἧς τ’ αὐτὸς ἐέλδομαι ἤματα πάντα.»

     Hṑs pháto, khḗrato d’ Húpnos, ameibómenos dè prosēúda;
     «ágrei nûn moi ómosson aáaton Stugòs húdōr,
     kheirì dè têi hetérēi mèn héle khthóna poulubóteiran,
     têi d’ hetérēi hála marmaréēn, hína nôïn hápantes
     márturoi ôs’ hoì énerthe theoì Krónon amphìs eóntes,
     ê mèn emoì dṓsein Kharítōn mían hoploteráōn,
     Pasithéēn, hês t’ autòs eéldomai ḗmata pánta.»

     • 1924 translation by A. T. Murray

       So spake she, and Sleep waxed glad, and made answer saying: “Come now, swear to me by the inviolable water of Styx, and with one hand lay thou hold of the bounteous earth, and with the other of the shimmering sea, that one and all they may be witnesses betwixt us twain, even the gods that are below with Cronos, that verily thou wilt give me one of the youthful Graces, even Pasithea, that myself I long for all my days.”

2. invincible
3. infallible

Inflection

Second declension of ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτος; ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτον (Epic)

Number		Singular			Dual			Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter		Masculine / Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτος aā́atos	ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτον aā́aton		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τω aāátō	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τω aāátō		ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτοι aā́atoi	ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτᾰ aā́ata
Genitive		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́του / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰτοῖο / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοιο / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰτόο / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοο aāátou / aāatoîo / aāátoio / aāatóo / aāátoo	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́του / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰτοῖο / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοιο / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰτόο / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοο aāátou / aāatoîo / aāátoio / aāatóo / aāátoo		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοιῐν aāátoiin	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοιῐν aāátoiin		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́των aāátōn	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́των aāátōn
Dative		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τῳ aāátōi	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τῳ aāátōi		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοιῐν aāátoiin	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοιῐν aāátoiin		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοισῐ / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοισῐν / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοις aāátoisi(n) / aāátois	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοισῐ / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοισῐν / ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τοις aāátoisi(n) / aāátois
Accusative		ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτον aā́aton	ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτον aā́aton		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τω aāátō	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τω aāátō		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τους aāátous	ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτᾰ aā́ata
Vocative		ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτε aā́ate	ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτον aā́aton		ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τω aāátō	ᾰ̓ᾱᾰ́τω aāátō		ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτοι aā́atoi	ᾰ̓ᾱ́ᾰτᾰ aā́ata
Derived forms		Adverb			Comparative			Superlative
		—			—			ᾰ̓ᾱᾰτώτᾰτος aāatṓtatos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Further reading

• “ἀάατος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀάατος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀάατος”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀάατος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ἀάατος in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)