γένυς

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *génus, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénu-, *ǵénus (“chin, jaw”).

Cognates include Sanskrit हनु (hánu), Latin gena, Old Armenian ծնաւտ (cnawt, “jaw”), Persian چانه (čâne), Tocharian A śanwem, Lithuanian žandas, Welsh gên, and English chin.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ɡé.nyːs/ → /ˈʝe.nys/ → /ˈʝe.nis/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ɡé.nyːs/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡe.nys/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈʝe.nys/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈʝe.nys/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈʝe.nis/

• IPA^(key): /ɡé.nys/ (variant in post-Homeric poetry)

Noun

γένῡς, γένῠς • (génūs, génus) f (genitive γένῠος); third declension

1. jaw
2. mouth
3. edge of an axe

Inflection

Third declension of ἡ γένῠς; τῆς γένῠος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ γένῠς hē génus	τὼ γένῠε tṑ génue	αἱ γένῠες hai génues
Genitive	τῆς γένῠος tês génuos	τοῖν γενῠ́οιν toîn genúoin	τῶν γενῠ́ων tôn genúōn
Dative	τῇ γένῠῐ̈ / γένυι têi génuï / génui	τοῖν γενῠ́οιν toîn genúoin	ταῖς γένῠσῐ / γένῠσῐν taîs génusi(n)
Accusative	τὴν γένῠν tḕn génun	τὼ γένῠε tṑ génue	τᾱ̀ς γένῡς / γένῠᾰς tā̀s génūs / génuas
Vocative	γένῠ génu	γένῠε génue	γένῠες génues
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Third declension of γένῡς; γένῠος (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	γένῡς génūs	γένῠε génue	γένῠες génues
Genitive	γένῠος génuos	γενῠ́οιῐν genúoiin	γενῠ́ων genúōn
Dative	γένῠῐ̈ / γένυι génuï / génui	γενῠ́οιῐν genúoiin	γενῠ́εσσῐ / γενῠ́εσσῐν / γένῡσῐ / γένῡσῐν / γένῡσσῐ / γένῡσσῐν genúessi(n) / génūsi(n) / génūssi(n)
Accusative	γένῡν génūn	γένῠε génue	γένῡς / γένῠᾰς génūs / génuas
Vocative	γένῡ génū	γένῠε génue	γένῠες génues
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Further reading

• “γένυς”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “γένυς”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “γένυς”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• γένυς in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• γένυς in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• γένυς in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2024)
• “γένυς”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • axe idem, page 57.
  • cheek idem, page 128.
  • chin idem, page 130.
  • edge idem, page 261.
  • jaw idem, page 462.