σύν

See also: συν, συν-, and Appendix:Variations of "sun"

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

ξύν (xún) — Homeric, Old Attic
σούν (soún) — Boeotian

Etymology

Apparently from a Proto-Hellenic *ksún, but further connections are uncertain. Younger form of Homeric and Old Attic ξύν (xún), Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀱 (ku-su /⁠*ksun⁠/). These probably reflect Proto-Indo-European *som- (“one, together (with)”) contaminated with the *ḱ of *ḱóm (“beside, with”) along with a conflation of their meanings [1] However, the /u/ is unexpected and unexplained under this proposal. Note that a derivation from *som- alone is impossible, since the *s- would be expected to give h- (aspiration); neither is the ks- explainable from *ḱóm alone. This makes its exact relation to Lithuanian sù and Proto-Slavic *sъ(n) dubious, but if indeed a conflation of *ḱóm and *som-, then it's a cognate relation regardless.

The dative that this preposition governs continues the PIE comitative-instrumental.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /sýn/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /syn/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /syn/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /syn/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /sin/

Preposition

σῠ́ν • (sún) (governs the dative)

beside, with

Usage notes

In compounds it has similar applications, including completeness, simultaneity.

Derived terms

μεταξύ (metaxú)
ξυνός (xunós)
συν- (sun-)

Descendants

Greek: συν (syn)
Yevanic: שִׁין (šin)
→ Dutch: syn-
→ English: syn-, sym-
→ French: syn-
→ German: syn-
→ Italian: sin-, sim-
→ Polish: syn-

References

“σύν”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
σύν in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
σύν in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
G4862 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the BibleWoodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- conjunction idem, page 160.
- with idem, page 983.
Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN

Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1038

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[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1038