ξανθός

See also: Ξάνθος

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. There are at least two possibilities:

1. Derived from Proto-Indo-European, through augmented *ḱsendʰ-, from root *ḱas- (“white, blond, grey”). If this is correct, then this word is akin to Latin cānus (“white”), from Proto-Italic *kaznos;
2. Of Pre-Greek origin, according to Beekes, which deems the comparison with Latin as gratuitous. Compare also Ancient Greek ξουθός (xouthós, “golden yellow”).

Moreover, the often asserted connection with Etruscan 𐌆𐌀𐌌𐌈𐌉𐌂 (zamθic, “golden”) is probably spurious.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ksan.tʰós/ → /ksanˈθos/ → /ksanˈθos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ksan.tʰós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ksanˈtʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ksanˈθos/

Adjective

ξᾰνθός • (xănthós) m (feminine ξᾰνθή, neuter ξᾰνθόν); first/second declension

1. yellow (of various shades), golden
2. fair, blond, flaxen, tawny, a golden-red fawn (of hair)
   • 630 BCE – 570 BCE, Sappho, Papyrus Fragments 23:

     ξάνθαι δ’ Ἐλέναι σ’ ἐίσ[κ]ην
     οὖδεν ἄεικες

     xánthai d’ Elénai s’ eís[k]ēn
     oûden áeikes

     Comparing you to golden Helen
     is not at all inappropriate

Inflection

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ξᾰνθός xănthós	ξᾰνθή xănthḗ	ξᾰνθόν xănthón		ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xănthā́	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ		ξᾰνθοί xănthoí	ξᾰνθαί xănthaí	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xănthắ
Genitive		ξᾰνθοῦ xănthoû	ξᾰνθῆς xănthês	ξᾰνθοῦ xănthoû		ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn	ξᾰνθαῖν xănthaîn	ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn		ξᾰνθῶν xănthôn	ξᾰνθῶν xănthôn	ξᾰνθῶν xănthôn
Dative		ξᾰνθῷ xănthôi	ξᾰνθῇ xănthêi	ξᾰνθῷ xănthôi		ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn	ξᾰνθαῖν xănthaîn	ξᾰνθοῖν xănthoîn		ξᾰνθοῖς xănthoîs	ξᾰνθαῖς xănthaîs	ξᾰνθοῖς xănthoîs
Accusative		ξᾰνθόν xănthón	ξᾰνθήν xănthḗn	ξᾰνθόν xănthón		ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xănthā́	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ		ξᾰνθούς xănthoús	ξᾰνθᾱ́ς xănthā́s	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xănthắ
Vocative		ξᾰνθέ xănthé	ξᾰνθή xănthḗ	ξᾰνθόν xănthón		ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ	ξᾰνθᾱ́ xănthā́	ξᾰνθώ xănthṓ		ξᾰνθοί xănthoí	ξᾰνθαί xănthaí	ξᾰνθᾰ́ xănthắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ξᾰνθῶς xănthôs				ξᾰνθότερος xănthóteros				ξᾰνθότᾰτος xănthótătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and second declension of ξᾰνθός; ξᾰνθή; ξᾰνθόν (Attic)

Derived terms

• ἐρυθρόξανθος (eruthróxanthos)
• ξάνθη (xánthē)
• Ξανθίας (Xanthías)
• ξανθίζω (xanthízō)
• ξάνθιον (xánthion)
• ξάνθισις (xánthisis)
• ξάνθισμα (xánthisma)
• ξανθισμός (xanthismós)
• ξανθόγεως (xanthógeōs)
• ξανθοδερκής (xanthoderkḗs)
• ξανθοειδής (xanthoeidḗs)
• ξάνθοθριξ (xánthothrix)
• ξανθοκάρηνος (xanthokárēnos)
• ξανθοκάρυον (xanthokáruon)
• ξανθοκόμης (xanthokómēs)
• ξανθόλευκος (xanthóleukos)
• ξανθόλοφος (xanthólophos)
• ξανθομήλινος (xanthomḗlinos)
• Ξᾰ́νθος (Xắnthos)
• ξανθότης (xanthótēs)
• ξανθοφαής (xanthophaḗs)
• ξανθοφυής (xanthophuḗs)
• ξανθοχίτων (xanthokhítōn)
• ξανθόχλοος (xanthókhloos)
• ξανθόχολος (xanthókholos)
• ξανθόχροος (xanthókhroos)
• ξανθόω (xanthóō)
• ξανθωπός (xanthōpós)
• ξάνθωσις (xánthōsis)
• πυρρόξανθος (purrhóxanthos)

Descendants

• Greek: ξανθός (xanthós)

See also

Colors in Ancient Greek · χρώμᾰτᾰ (khrṓmătă) (layout · text)

λευκός (leukós)	γλαυκός (glaukós), κῐλλός (kĭllós), πολῐός (polĭós), φαιός (phaiós), χαροπός (kharopós)	ᾰ̓μαυρός (ămaurós), κελαινός (kelainós), μαυρός (maurós), μέλᾱς (mélās)
ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós); κᾰρῡ́κῐνος (kărū́kĭnos), κόκκῐνος (kókkĭnos), φοινός (phoinós)	πυρρός (purrhós); ὄρφνῐνος (órphnĭnos)	μήλινος (mḗlinos), ξᾰνθός (xănthós); ὠχρός (ōkhrós)
πρᾰ́σῐνος (prắsĭnos)	χλωρός (khlōrós)	χλωρός (khlōrós); χλωρομέλᾱς (khlōromélās)
κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos); γλαυκός (glaukós), κᾰλάϊνος (kăláïnos)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos)	κῠᾰ́νεος (kŭắneos), ὑᾰκῐ́νθῐνος (huăkĭ́nthĭnos)
ἰόεις (ióeis), φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (hălourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos), οἶνοψ (oînops)	φοινῑ́κεος (phoinī́keos); ᾰ̔λουργής (hălourgḗs), πορφῠ́ρεος (porphŭ́reos)	ῥόδινος (rhódinos), ῥοδόεις (rhodóeis)

References

• “ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ξανθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ξανθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ξανθός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• ξανθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “ξανθός”, 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, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • auburn idem, page 52.
  • blonde idem, page 84.
  • brown idem, page 101.
  • buff idem, page 102.
  • flaxen idem, page 327.
  • golden idem, page 366.
  • orange idem, page 578.
  • russet idem, page 728.
  • sandy idem, page 733.
  • tawny idem, page 857.
  • yellow idem, page 995.
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1033

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós).

Adjective

ξανθός • (xanthós) m (feminine ξανθή or ξανθιά, neuter ξανθό)

1. blonde, blond, fair, flaxen, tawny

   ξανθά μαλλιά, όπως το μέλι ― xanthá malliá, ópos to méli ― blonde hair like honey

2. golden

   ξανθό στάχυ ― xanthó stáchy ― golden ear (of corn)

Declension

Declension of ξανθός

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ξανθός (xanthós)	ξανθή (xanthí) ξανθιά (xanthiá)	ξανθό (xanthó)		ξανθοί (xanthoí)	ξανθές (xanthés)	ξανθά (xanthá)
genitive	ξανθού (xanthoú)	ξανθής (xanthís) ξανθιάς (xanthiás)	ξανθού (xanthoú)		ξανθών (xanthón)	ξανθών (xanthón)	ξανθών (xanthón)
accusative	ξανθό (xanthó)	ξανθή (xanthí) ξανθιά (xanthiá)	ξανθό (xanthó)		ξανθούς (xanthoús)	ξανθές (xanthés)	ξανθά (xanthá)
vocative	ξανθέ (xanthé)	ξανθή (xanthí) ξανθιά (xanthiá)	ξανθό (xanthó)		ξανθοί (xanthoí)	ξανθές (xanthés)	ξανθά (xanthá)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο ξανθός, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο ξανθός, etc.)

Derived terms

• ξανθή σταφίδα f (xanthí stafída, “sultana, golden raisin”)