ἀγαθός

See also: αγαθός

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀγασός (agasós) — Laconian
• ἀζαθός (azathós) — Arcadocypriot

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Hellenic *əgatʰós, from Proto-Indo-European *m̥ǵh₂dʰh₁ós (“made great; whose deeds are great”), from *méǵh₂s (“great”) + *dʰeh₁- (“do”) + *-ós. Compare Latin magnificus from same roots.

Beekes notes that if the glossing synonyms ἀκαθός (akathós) and χάσιος (khásios) are related to ἀγαθός (agathós), one would be forced to assume Pre-Greek borrowing instead.^[1][2]

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /a.ɡa.tʰós/ → /a.ɣaˈθos/ → /a.ɣaˈθos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /a.ɡa.tʰós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /a.ɡaˈtʰos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.ɣaˈθos/

Adjective

ᾰ̓γᾰθός • (ăgăthós) m (feminine ᾰ̓γᾰθή, neuter ᾰ̓γᾰθόν); first/second declension

1. good, brave, noble, moral, gentle
2. fortunate, lucky
3. useful

Usage notes

The difference between the three most common comparatives/superlatives is the following:

• ἀμείνων (ameínōn), ἄριστος (áristos): stronger, braver, preferable, superior.
• βελτίων (beltíōn), βέλτιστος (béltistos): more fitting, morally superior.
• κρείσσων (kreíssōn), κράτιστος (krátistos): better, stronger.

Declension

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		ᾰ̓γᾰθός ăgăthós	ᾰ̓γᾰθή ăgăthḗ	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν ăgăthón		ᾰ̓γᾰθώ ăgăthṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ ăgăthā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ ăgăthṓ		ᾰ̓γᾰθοί ăgăthoí	ᾰ̓γᾰθαί ăgăthaí	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ ăgăthắ
Genitive		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῦ ăgăthoû	ᾰ̓γᾰθῆς ăgăthês	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῦ ăgăthoû		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν ăgăthoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖν ăgăthaîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν ăgăthoîn		ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν ăgăthôn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν ăgăthôn	ᾰ̓γᾰθῶν ăgăthôn
Dative		ᾰ̓γᾰθῷ ăgăthôi	ᾰ̓γᾰθῇ ăgăthêi	ᾰ̓γᾰθῷ ăgăthôi		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν ăgăthoîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖν ăgăthaîn	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖν ăgăthoîn		ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖς ăgăthoîs	ᾰ̓γᾰθαῖς ăgăthaîs	ᾰ̓γᾰθοῖς ăgăthoîs
Accusative		ᾰ̓γᾰθόν ăgăthón	ᾰ̓γᾰθήν ăgăthḗn	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν ăgăthón		ᾰ̓γᾰθώ ăgăthṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ ăgăthā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ ăgăthṓ		ᾰ̓γᾰθούς ăgăthoús	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ς ăgăthā́s	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ ăgăthắ
Vocative		ᾰ̓γᾰθέ ăgăthé	ᾰ̓γᾰθή ăgăthḗ	ᾰ̓γᾰθόν ăgăthón		ᾰ̓γᾰθώ ăgăthṓ	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾱ́ ăgăthā́	ᾰ̓γᾰθώ ăgăthṓ		ᾰ̓γᾰθοί ăgăthoí	ᾰ̓γᾰθαί ăgăthaí	ᾰ̓γᾰθᾰ́ ăgăthắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		ᾰ̓γᾰθῶς / εὖ ăgăthôs / eû				ᾰ̓γᾰθώτερος / ἀμείνων / ἀρείων / βελτίων / κρείττων / λῴων / φέρτερος ăgăthṓteros / ameínōn / areíōn / beltíōn / kreíttōn / lṓiōn / phérteros				ᾰ̓γᾰθώτᾰτος / ἄριστος / βέλτιστος / κράτιστος / λῷστος / φέρτατος ăgăthṓtătos / áristos / béltistos / krátistos / lôistos / phértatos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and second declension of ᾰ̓γᾰθός; ᾰ̓γᾰθή; ᾰ̓γᾰθόν (Attic)

Derived terms

• Αγαθάνωρ (Agathánōr)
• Ἀγάθαρχος (Agátharkhos)
• Ἀγαθή (Agathḗ)
• Ἀγαθήμερος (Agathḗmeros)
• ἀγαθοδαίμων (agathodaímōn)
• ἀγαθοεργέω (agathoergéō)
• Ἀγαθόκλεια (Agathókleia)
• Ἀγαθοκλῆς (Agathoklês)
• ἀγαθοποιέω (agathopoiéō)
• ἀγαθοποιΐα (agathopoiḯa)
• ἀγαθοποιός (agathopoiós)
• ἀγαθότης (agathótēs)
• Ἀγάθων (Agáthōn)
• ἀγαθωσύνη (agathōsúnē)
• Ἀνδράγαθος (Andrágathos)
• Ἀρχάγαθος (Arkhágathos)
• καλοκαγαθία (kalokagathía)

 

Descendants

• Greek: αγαθός (agathós)
• → Coptic: ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ (agathos)

References

1. Beekes, Robert S. P. (1996) “Ancient European Loanwords”, in Historische Sprachforschung, volume 109, § 6. Gr. ἀγαθός – Goth. gods, page 227-230 of 215–236
2. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “ἀγαθός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 7

Further reading

• “ἀγαθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ἀγαθός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ἀγαθός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• ἀγαθός 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
• ἀγαθός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• ἀγαθός in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• “ἀγαθός”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G18 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.
  • admirable idem, page 12.
  • adroit idem, page 13.
  • bold idem, page 88.
  • brave idem, page 93.
  • courageous idem, page 178.
  • estimable idem, page 283.
  • excellent idem, page 288.
  • exemplary idem, page 290.
  • gallant idem, page 352.
  • good idem, page 366.
  • skilful idem, page 780.
  • virtuous idem, page 954.