Θαλῆς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Perhaps from θᾰ́λλω (thállō, “to thrive”) +‎ -ης (-ēs), in which case “one who thrives”.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /tʰa.lɛ̂ːs/ → /θaˈlis/ → /θaˈlis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /tʰa.lɛ̂ːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /tʰaˈle̝s/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /θaˈlis/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /θaˈlis/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /θaˈlis/

Proper noun

Θᾰλῆς • (Thalês) m (genitive Θᾰλέω or Θᾰλοῦ); first declension
Θᾰλῆς • (Thalês) m (genitive Θᾰλῆτος); third declension

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Thales

Inflection

First declension of ὁ Θᾰλῆς; τοῦ Θᾰλέω (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Θᾰλῆς ho Thalês
Genitive	τοῦ Θᾰλέω / Θᾰλοῦ toû Thaléō / Thaloû
Dative	τῷ Θᾰλῇ tôi Thalêi
Accusative	τὸν Θᾰλῆν tòn Thalên
Vocative	Θᾰλῆ Thalê
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of ὁ Θᾰλῆς; τοῦ Θᾰλῆτος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular
Nominative	ὁ Θᾰλῆς ho Thalês
Genitive	τοῦ Θᾰλῆτος toû Thalêtos
Dative	τῷ Θᾰλῆτῐ tôi Thalêti
Accusative	τὸν Θᾰλῆτᾰ tòn Thalêta
Vocative	Θᾰλῆς Thalês
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension. Nominative singular -ς (-s) arose by reduction of the original cluster *-ts.

Descendants

• Greek: Θαλής (Thalís)
• → Czech: Thalés
• → English: Thales
• → Latin: Thalēs
• → Italian: Talete
• → Turkish: Thales

References

• “Θαλῆς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Θαλῆς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, page 1,027