# μέγας
## Ancient Greek
### Etymology

From Proto-Hellenic *mégas,, from a conflation of Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“great”) with its derivative *meǵh₂los (“great”).
Cognates include Sanskrit मह (mahá, “great, mighty, strong, abundant”), Middle Persian ms (meh, “great”) (< *mas), (Persian مه (meh)), Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬰- (maz-, “large”), Tocharian B māka (“large”), Hittite [script needed] (mēkkis, “much, many, numerous”), Old Armenian մեծ (mec), Old Irish maige (“great, large”), Albanian madh (“large”), Latin magnus and Old English miċel (English much).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mé.ɡas/ → /ˈme.ɣas/ → /ˈme.ɣas/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /mé.ɡas/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /ˈme.ɡas/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /ˈme.ɣas/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /ˈme.ɣas/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /ˈme.ɣas/

### Adjective

μέγᾰς • (mégas) m (feminine μεγάλη, neuter μέγᾰ); first/second declension
* big, large
* great, mighty, loud
* marvelous, awesome

#### Related terms

* μεγαίρω (megaírō)
* μεγάλος (megálos)

#### Descendants

* Byzantine Greek: μέγας (mégas)
** Greek: μέγας (mégas)
** Mariupol Greek: ме́гас (mjéhas)

### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “μέγας”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 917-8

### Further reading

* “μέγας”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “μέγας”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “μέγας”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* μέγας 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
* μέγας in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
* “μέγας”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
* G3173 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. ample idem, page 28.big idem, page 78.bulky idem, page 103.burly idem, page 105.capacious idem, page 111.commodious idem, page 148.considerable idem, page 163.distinct idem, page 241.enormous idem, page 276.extensive idem, page 296.gigantic idem, page 359.great idem, page 372.heavy idem, page 393.large idem, page 476.loud idem, page 501.lusty idem, page 505.mighty idem, page 528.palatial idem, page 589.potent idem, page 629.powerful idem, page 630.resonant idem, page 703.severe idem, page 759.spacious idem, page 797.stentorian idem, page 815.stout idem, page 821.strong idem, page 827.sturdy idem, page 830.substantial idem, page 832.tall idem, page 854.vast idem, page 945.
* Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part II: Inflection”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 311

## Greek
### Alternative forms

* μεγάλος (megálos, “big, great”) (common)

### Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“great”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈme.ɣas/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: μέ‧γας

### Adjective

μέγας • (mégas) m (feminine μεγάλη, neuter μέγα)
* (formal, pompous) great, very important
** 1959 Odysseas Elytis. poem: Άξιον Εστί (To Axion Esti "It Is Worthy")
    ΑΥΤΟΣ ο κόσμος ο μικρός, ο μέγας!AFTOS o kósmos o mikrós, o mégas!THIS the small world, the great!
       The Collected Poems of Odysseus Elytis @books.google
    είναι μέγας νομικός ― eínai mégas nomikós ― he is a great legal mind
    Synonym: τρανός (tranós)
** (ironically)
    είναι μέγας απατεών ― eínai mégas apateón ― he is a huge conman
    μέγα λάθος! ― méga láthos! ― big mistake!
* (for important places and historical figures): with capital M → Μέγας (Mégas)
    Μέγας Αλέξανδρος / o Αλέξανδρος ο Μέγας ― Mégas Aléxandros / o Aléxandros o Mégas ― Alexander the Great
    Μεγάλη Αικατερίνη / η Αικατερίνη η Μεγάλη ― Megáli Aikateríni / i Aikateríni i Megáli ― Catherine the Great

#### Declension

* As in Ancient Greek

#### Derived terms

* μέγας είσαι Κύριε (mégas eísai Kýrie, “you are great, o Lord!”) (exclamation of surprise, disbelief)

#### Related terms

* μέγιστος (mégistos)
* μεγιστοποιώ (megistopoió)