ἄκανθα

See also: άκανθα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Presumably from ἀκή (akḗ, “thorn”) +‎ ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”). Probably not related to Sanskrit कण्टक (káṇṭaka, “thorn, thornbush; prick, needle”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /á.kan.tʰa/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈa.kan.tʰa/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.kan.θa/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈa.kan.θa/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈa.kan.θa/

Noun

ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰ • (ákantha) f (genitive ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθης); first declension

thorny plant
1. (Egypt) specifically Vachellia nilotica (phono-semantic matching of Coptic ϣⲟⲛϯ (šonti))
thorn, spine, prickle
(figuratively) thorny issue; something difficult or painful.

Inflection

First declension of ἡ ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰ; τῆς ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰ hē ákantha	τὼ ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθᾱ tṑ akánthā	αἱ ᾰ̓́κᾰνθαι hai ákanthai
Genitive	τῆς ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθης tês akánthēs	τοῖν ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθαιν toîn akánthain	τῶν ᾰ̓κᾰνθῶν tôn akanthôn
Dative	τῇ ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθῃ têi akánthēi	τοῖν ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθαιν toîn akánthain	ταῖς ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθαις taîs akánthais
Accusative	τὴν ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰν tḕn ákanthan	τὼ ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθᾱ tṑ akánthā	τᾱ̀ς ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθᾱς tā̀s akánthās
Vocative	ᾰ̓́κᾰνθᾰ ákantha	ᾰ̓κᾰ́νθᾱ akánthā	ᾰ̓́κᾰνθαι ákanthai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἀκανθέα (akanthéa)
ἀκανθίς (akanthís)
ἀκανθοφόρος (akanthophóros)
ἀκᾰνθοφᾰ́γος (akanthophágos)
ἀκᾰ́νθῐνος (akánthinos)
ἀκᾰ́νθῐον (akánthion)
ἀκᾰνθῐ́ᾱς (akanthíās)
λευκάκανθα (leukákantha)
ὀξυάκανθα (oxuákantha)
πυξάκανθα (puxákantha)
τραγάκανθα (tragákantha)

Descendants

→ Greek: άκανθα (ákantha)
→ Arabic: أَقَنْثَا (ʔaqanṯā)
→ New Latin: acantha
- → English: acantha