# κοντός
## Ancient Greek
### Etymology

From the o-grade κοντ‑ of the root κεντ‑ underlying κεντέω, -ῶ (kentéō, -ô, “prick”), κέντρον (kéntron, “centre”). The suffix is -ός (-ós, deverbal adjective and noun suffix).
The Hellenistic Koine "short" sense is derived from the ancient "pole" sense, which referred to shorter kinds of spears, poles, hence "(short) pole" > "shortness". Compare κοντοφόρος (kontophóros, “carrying a (short) pole”) in contrast to δορῠφόρος (dorŭphóros, “carrying a (long) spear”).
Not related to ἀκόντιον (akóntion, “javelin”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kon.tós/ → /konˈtos/ → /konˈdos/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /kon.tós/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /konˈtos/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /konˈtos/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /konˈtos/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /konˈdos/

### Adjective

κοντός • (kontós) m (feminine κοντή, neuter κοντόν); first/second declension (Koine)
* short
    Synonym: βρᾰχῠ́ς (brăkhŭ́s)

#### Alternative forms

* κονδός (kondós)

#### Descendants

* Medieval and Modern Greek: κοντός (kontós) (sense: short)

### Noun

κοντός • (kontós) m (genitive κοντοῦ); second declension
* pole
* pike
* (medicine) (in plural): crutch
* goad

#### Related terms

* κοντάριον (kontárion, diminutive)
* κοντᾰριοθήκη f (kontăriothḗkē, “spear-case”)
* κονταφόρος m (kontaphóros), κοντοφόρος m (kontophóros, “carrying a (short) pole”)
* κόντῐλος (kóntĭlos, diminutive) (obscure sense)
* κοντοβολέω, ῶ (kontoboléō, ô, “strike with a pole”)
* κοντοκῠνηγέσιον n (kontokŭnēgésion, “hunt with pikes”)
* κοντοπαίκτης m (kontopaíktēs, “acrobat on a pole”)
* κοντοπλεύριον n (kontopleúrion, “short side”) (usually in plural)
* κοντοπορεία f (kontoporeía, “short road”)
* κόντωσις f (kóntōsis, “fishing with a pole”)
* κοντωτῐ́της m (kontōtĭ́tēs, “puntsman”)
* κοντωτός (kontōtós, “furnished with a pole”)

#### Descendants

* ⇒ Ancient Greek: κοντάριον (kontárion, diminutive)
** Medieval Byzantine Greek: κοντάριον (kontárion), κοντάριν
*** Modern Greek: κοντάρι (kontári), κοντός (noun)
* → Latin: contus
* → Arabic: قُنْطَرِيَّة (qunṭariyya)

### See also

* Also see the different etymological field of ἀκόντιον n (akóntion, “javelin”)

### References

* ↑ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “κοντός”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 747
* ↑ κοντός - Babiniotis, Georgios (2010) Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας Etymologikó lexikó tis néas ellinikís glóssas [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek language] (in Greek), Athens: Lexicology Centre
* ↑ κοντάριον - Kriaras, Emmanuel (1969-) Επιτομή του Λεξικού της Μεσαιωνικής Ελληνικής Δημώδους Γραμματείας (Epitomí tou Lexikoú tis Mesaionikís Ellinikís Dimódous Grammateías) [Concise Dictionary of the Kriaras' Dictionary of Medieval Vulgar Greek Literature (1100–1669) Vols. 1–14. Vols 15- under I. Kazazes.)] (in Greek), Thessaloniki: Centre for the Greek language Online edition (abbreviations) Printed edition 2022: 22 vols.)

### Further reading

* “κοντός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “κοντός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
* “κοντός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
* κοντός in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette

## Greek
### Etymology

* Sense pole: from Ancient Greek κοντός (“pole”) (noun).
* Sense short: from the Hellenistic Koine Greek κοντός (kontós, “short”) (adjective) from the ancient sense Ancient Greek κοντός (“pole”) which referred to shorter kinds of poles, hence the sense shortness.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /konˈdos/
* Hyphenation: κο‧ντός

### Adjective

κοντός • (kontós) m (feminine κοντή, neuter κοντό)
* short (in height)

#### Declension

Comparative κοντύτερος (kontýteros) & (and κοντότερος); no absolute superlative
Derivations: Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο κοντός, etc.) Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο κοντός, etc.)
comparative (?)
singular
plural
masculine
feminine
neuter
masculine
feminine
neuter
nominative
κοντύτερος (kontýteros)
κοντύτερη (kontýteri)
κοντύτερο (kontýtero)
κοντύτεροι (kontýteroi)
κοντύτερες (kontýteres)
κοντύτερα (kontýtera)
genitive
κοντύτερου (kontýterou)
κοντύτερης (kontýteris)
κοντύτερου (kontýterou)
κοντύτερων (kontýteron)
κοντύτερων (kontýteron)
κοντύτερων (kontýteron)
accusative
κοντύτερο (kontýtero)
κοντύτερη (kontýteri)
κοντύτερο (kontýtero)
κοντύτερους (kontýterous)
κοντύτερες (kontýteres)
κοντύτερα (kontýtera)
vocative
κοντύτερε (kontýtere)
κοντύτερη (kontýteri)
κοντύτερο (kontýtero)
κοντύτεροι (kontýteroi)
κοντύτερες (kontýteres)
κοντύτερα (kontýtera)
Derivations: relative superlative: ο + comparative forms (eg "ο κοντύτερος", etc) :

#### Synonyms

* βραχύς (vrachýs, “short, brief”)
* βραχύσωμος (vrachýsomos, “with short body”)

#### Derived terms

* κοντά (kontá, “near”, adverb)
* κονταίνω (kontaíno, “shorten”)
* κοντεύω (kontévo)
* κοντινός (kontinós, “nearby, adjacent, close”)
* κοντο- (konto-, “short-”) compounds

#### See also

* απότομος (apótomos, “short conversationally”)
* λιγοστός (ligostós, “short, scarce”)
* μικρός (mikrós, “short in length”)
* σύντομος (sýntomos, “short in time”)

### Noun

κοντός • (kontós) m
* (formal) pole
    Synonym: κοντάρι (kontári)

#### Derived terms

* άλμα επί κοντώ n (álma epí kontó, “pole vault”)

### References

* ↑ κοντός, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language