σφαῖρα

See also: σφαίρα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Connections with σπαίρω (spaírō, “to gasp”) or Proto-Indo-European *sperH- (“to kick, rebound, move convulsively”, the original sense would be "something that rebounds") have been suggested, but the aspiration of σπ- to σφ- is unexplained and the semantic development is dubious.[1] Nikolayev instead suggests derivation from a Proto-Hellenic *skʷʰə́řřa, from a putative Proto-Indo-European *sgʷʰer- (“to be round”); compare Avestan 𐬰𐬔𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬯𐬥𐬀 (zgər^əsna, “round”) and Hittite [Term?] pl (/⁠šū̆rita⁠/, “skeins of wool”) (a borrowing from Luwian).[2]

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /spʰâi̯.ra/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈspʰɛ.ra/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈsɸɛ.ra/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈsfe.ra/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈsfe.ra/

Noun

σφαῖρᾰ • (sphaîra) f (genitive σφαίρᾱς); first declension

ball, globe, sphere[3][4][5][6]

Inflection

First declension of ἡ σφαῖρᾰ; τῆς σφαίρᾱς (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ σφαῖρᾰ hē sphaîra	τὼ σφαίρᾱ tṑ sphaírā	αἱ σφαῖραι hai sphaîrai
Genitive	τῆς σφαίρᾱς tês sphaírās	τοῖν σφαίραιν toîn sphaírain	τῶν σφαιρῶν tôn sphairôn
Dative	τῇ σφαίρᾳ têi sphaírāi	τοῖν σφαίραιν toîn sphaírain	ταῖς σφαίραις taîs sphaírais
Accusative	τὴν σφαῖρᾰν tḕn sphaîran	τὼ σφαίρᾱ tṑ sphaírā	τᾱ̀ς σφαίρᾱς tā̀s sphaírās
Vocative	σφαῖρᾰ sphaîra	σφαίρᾱ sphaírā	σφαῖραι sphaîrai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

ἡμισφαίριον (hēmisphaírion)
σφαιρῐκός (sphairikós)

Descendants

Greek: σφαίρα f (sfaíra)
→ Latin: sphaera f (see there for further descendants)
→ Old Armenian: սփէր (spʻēr)
- → Georgian: სფერო (spero)

References

Roberts, Edward A. (2014) A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, p. 906
Alexander Nikolaev (2017) “Luvian ^(síg)šūrita ‘balls of yarn’”, in Usque ad Radices: Indo-European studies in honour of Birgit Anette Olsen, Museum usculanum Press, pages 567-574
“σφαῖρα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
σφαῖρα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
σφαῖρα in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
- ball idem, page 60.
- globe idem, page 362.
- sphere idem, page 801.

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[1] Roberts, Edward A. (2014) A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, p. 906

[2] Alexander Nikolaev (2017) “Luvian ^(síg)šūrita ‘balls of yarn’”, in Usque ad Radices: Indo-European studies in honour of Birgit Anette Olsen, Museum usculanum Press, pages 567-574

[3] “σφαῖρα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press

[4] σφαῖρα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

[5] σφαῖρα in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963

[6] Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
ball idem, page 60.
globe idem, page 362.
sphere idem, page 801.

[7] , page 60.

[8] , page 362.

[9] sphere idem, page 801.