# πίθος
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* πίδος (pídos)

### Etymology

Like many Greek words for pottery, most likely of Pre-Greek origin, as evidenced by the irregular variations between:
* ⟨δ⟩ and ⟨θ⟩, the former as in e.g. πίδος (pídos)
* ⟨π⟩ and ⟨φ⟩, as in the derived terms πιθάκνη (pitháknē) ~ φιδάκνη (phidáknē) and πιθάκνιον (pitháknion) ~ φιδάκνιον (phidáknion)
* ⟨ι⟩ and ⟨ε⟩, the latter as in Mycenaean Greek 𐀤𐀵 (qe-to).
Formerly compared to Old Norse biða (“milk jug/bucket”) and Latin fidēlia (“earthen vessel, pot”), assuming a Proto-Indo-European root *bʰidʰ-. The apparent cognate in Mycenaean Greek, if related, however rules out an initial labial consonant in the source.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pí.tʰos/ → /ˈpi.θos/ → /ˈpi.θos/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /pí.tʰos/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /ˈpi.tʰos/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /ˈpi.θos/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /ˈpi.θos/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /ˈpi.θos/

### Noun

πῐ́θος • (píthos) m (genitive πῐ́θου); second declension
* large wine jar, cask
    πίθοι ξύλινοι, κεράμινοι, ἀργύρεοι ― píthoi xúlinoi, keráminoi, argúreoi ― jars wooden, of clay, silver.
* (proverbs, expressions)
** of the task of the Danaids, of labour in vain
*** 430 BCE – 354 BCE, Xenophon, Oeconomicus 7.40:τό εἰς τὸν τετρημένον πίθον ἀντλεῖνtó eis tòn tetrēménon píthon antleînto the perforated jar bale water
** of a Cynic's life, like Diogenes
    ζωὴ πίθου ― zōḕ píthou ― a life of jar (in a jar)
** very witty, referring to Diogenes
    πίθος φρενών ― píthos phrenṓn ― a cask [full of] wit
** your purse is deep
    ἐκ πίθω ἀντλεῖς ― ek píthō antleîs ― you have wine by the caskful
*** 300 BCE – 200 BCE, Theocritus, Epigrams 10.13:ἐκ πίθω ἀντλεῖς.ek píthō antleîs.you have wine by the caskful.

#### Synonyms

* ᾰ̓μφορεύς m (amphoreús, “jar”)

#### Derived terms

* πιθάκνη (pitháknē); πισάκνα (pisákna) (Doric)
* πιθάριον (pithárion)
* πιθίσκος (pithískos)
* πιθώδης (pithṓdēs)

#### Descendants

* Greek:
    Medieval Greek: πιθάριον n (pithárion) (diminutive)
       Modern Greek: πιθάρι n (pithári)
    Modern Greek: πίθος m (píthos)

### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “πίθος”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1189–1190
* ↑ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “bhidh-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 152-153

### Further reading

* “πίθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “πίθος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* πίθος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

## Greek
### Alternative forms

* πιθάρι n (pithári) (more common)

### Etymology

From Ancient Greek πῐ́θος (píthos).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpiθos/
* Hyphenation: πί‧θος

### Noun

πίθος • (píthos) m (plural πίθοι)
* (learned) large jar, cask
* (expression) (for monotonous, impossible tasks) the jar of the Daughters of Danaus
    o πίθος των Δαναΐδων ― o píthos ton Danaḯdon ― the jar of the Danaids/daughters of Danaus

#### Declension

| | singular | plural |
| nominative | πίθος • | πίθοι • |
| genitive | πίθου • | πίθων • |
| accusative | πίθο • | πίθους • |
| vocative | πίθε • | πίθοι • |

#### Synonyms

* πιθάρι n (pithári) (more common)